The newsletter of the Tweed Forum SUMMER 2014 No16 Now summer is upon us it is easy to forget the extraordinary flooding in the South of England earlier this year, but many will still be dealing with the consequences: loss of land and crops, refurbishing properties, negotiating insurance claims and the like. Whether you believe in climate change or not, it is difficult to argue with the fact that we have made ourselves more vulnerable to such extreme events. photo Laurie Campbell One of the only benefits of this prolonged flooding was that it did propel the work we are doing on natural flood management into the national headlines for the first time ever. Whilst there was the usual blame game and frenzied calls for dredging, there was recognition from most that, in an event of that size, with many hundreds of acres covered in water, making the river a little deeper was really not going to solve the problem. The importance of land management in the headwaters was frequently cited as being part of the solution and this is a considerable step forward. Centuries of land drainage, channelisation and habitat loss has made the ability for the land to shed water that much more efficient. Unfortunately, whilst it can help in the immediate vicinity, it has the effect of amplifying the flood wave as it travels downstream and the damage that goes with it. Restoring riparian habitat, woodland and wetlands all have the effect, after storage, of slowing down the flow and increasing storage which can help flatten the flood peak if done in the right place, at the right scale. However, the scientific understanding and knowledge base behind this is poor and this is why the Eddleston Water project (see page 10) is so important in that it attempts to evaluate the effects of such measures definitively through comprehensive hydrological monitoring. u
u Whilst teasing out the exact effects of land use change will take many years, there are some benefits that are derived almost immediately and are more tangible on Tweed. 65 ha have been planted with 70,000 native trees on over 15 different farm units. Ponds and wetlands have been restored and sections of the channelised main stem have been remeandered, increasing the quantity and quality of habitat for designated species such as salmon and otter. What it has also shown is that it is possible to bring about significant changes into a working agricultural landscape with little, if any, loss of production. All this work cascades to a plethora of benefits many of which society has taken for granted in the past clean water, flood attenuation, recreation, fishing, soil conservation, carbon sequestration to name but a few. With the ever-increasing pressure on our land we need to work in a smarter way to maximise what we get from our natural resources. The Land Use Strategy Pilot (see opposite page) has shown how we might target opportunities for doing just that. But what is clear is that you need a trusted intermediary, with a detailed local knowledge of the physical, social and fiscal landscape to convert these opportunities into tangible assets on the ground, and this is where the Forum approach has been shown to be effective. By working closely with landowners and farmers we have shown that it is possible to introduce measures into the working landscape with no loss of production. Indeed, in many cases it actuallly improves the situation 2 Fallago Environment Fund Two rounds of funding have now been awarded amounting to some 170k. Tweed Forum is running the Fund on behalf of Roxburghe Estates and EDF Renewables The Fund received a good number and variety of applications in the opening round, far more than it could ever fund in full. However, after careful deliberation, the Fund Management group awarded funding to the following projects and groups: new gates for Coldstream Football Club; repairs/ upgrade of Redpath and St Boswells village halls; new instruments for Hawick Saxhorn band and support for Gunsgreen House. A further sum was earmarked (pending further detail) for an important and iconic sculpture in Eyemouth to commemorate one of Scotland s worst fishing disasters. In the latest round the Fund offered support to Friends of Coldingham Priory for archaeological work, Chirnside Community Centre for redevelopment, Borders Forest Trust for ecological surveying, Westruther Village Hall solar panels, an historical account of a Kelso experience in the Great War and a feasibility study for an education centre at Springwood Park in Kelso. The deadlines are biannual - on the 1st March and September The Fund was launched last year. Pictured: Bob Kay (Chair of Tweed Forum), the Duke of Roxburghe, Christian Egal (CEO EDF Renewables) and Andrew Douglas-Home (Chair of the Fund Management Group).
Scottish Borders Land Use Strategy Pilot Tweed Forum has been working in tandem with Scottish Borders Council to engage stakeholders in this national pilot The Scottish Borders has been selected by the Scottish Government as one of two pilot areas for the Land Use Strategy (LUS) for Scotland. The LUS seeks a more integrated approach to land management in recognition of the increasing number of pressures and demands placed upon the countryside. The objective is to produce a common flexible framework which will guide different users to make more informed land use decisions. We are now half way through the 2-year programme. The main audience for the Framework will be people who make decisions about how we manage our land. The Scottish Government is keen that there is buy-in from local communities, therefore Tweed Forum is assisting Scottish Borders Council (the main project managers) in engaging local stakeholders. There are 3 stages to the LUS process: Stage 1- Baseline and Policy Mapping (to September 2013); Stage LUS Stakeholder Engagement workshop in Ettrickbridge Village Hall 2 - Opportunities and Constraints (to March 2014); Stage 3 - Production of a draft Framework (to March 2015); plus regular meetings of the LUS pilot management team and LUS key stakeholder group to keep everything on track. The key stakeholder group is made up of representatives from a range of land management organisations, who provide valuable feedback on how the process is developing, a key factor in successfully delivering the pilot. Over the 6-month winter period (October 2013 to March 2014), Tweed Forum implemented their u 3
A u Stakeholder Engagement Action Plan by engaging with key representatives of most of the relevant Land Use sectors in the Borders. Of the 512 people engaged through various meetings comment was received from 240, which is a respectable figure given the complexity of the subject matter. All key Government Agencies and land-based non-government organisations, along with farming and land owning bodies, were contacted and LUS meetings or workshops held with them. Seven case study catchments (Yarrow, Ettrick, Leet, Gala, Ale, Eye, Eddleston) were identified for closer public engagement. In association with SBC staff and Dundee University staff, 14 workshops were held (2 in each catchment). As a result of issues raised at the introductory meetings, GIS Mapping specialists Environment Systems generated 8 land use Opportunity Maps for the Borders. Key land use issues raised at workshops included: woodland expansion, biodiversity enhancement, flood management, food security, water pollution, carbon storage and recreational enhancement. The hope is that the framework will be designed to be simple and accessible for a wide range of users including farmers, local authority planners and the wider public RIVERWORKS River Till Restoration Strategy We have recently appointed a Project Officer to coordinate the delivery of this long-term strategy The River Till is of high conservation and ecological importance; about 130km is designated as SSSI, as well as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), in recognition of this. However, the SSSI is classed as being in unfavourable condition and, in some areas, the condition is declining (i.e. worsening) due to the physical state of the river channel. The Till River Restoration Strategy (RRS) was published last year after widespread consultation and will guide restoration efforts over the long-term (the next 30 to 50 years). We are delighted that Tweed Forum s own Tracy Hall will be overseeing the recently launched River Till implementation phase as Till RRS Project Officer. Tracy will be managing the initial delivery of the Strategy with funding support from Natural England and the Environment Agency amongst others. Concentrating on priority areas, which have been already been highlighted in the Strategy, Tracy will be supported by a steering group consisting of the main agencies (the Environment Agency and Natural England) together with representatives from local communities and key landowners. The full Strategy document is available at www.tweedforum.org/projects/ current-projects Restoration Strategy 4
WATER QUALITY Eye Water Diffuse Pollution Project Two farms in the Eye Water Catchment are trialling innovative stock watering techniques The work that has been undertaken in recent years to fence off livestock access to the Eye Water seems to have paid off as the bathing water at Eyemouth has recently gone from a pass to recommended in the Good Beach Guide. SEPA and SRUC have recently installed a series of innovative stock-watering solutions on two farms in the Eye Water Catchment. Tweed Forum has been working with Eye Catchment farmers over the last few years to reduce diffuse pollution and, in particular, reduce faecal indicator organisms of ruminant origin (FIOs). These FIOs are directly responsible for failures in bathing water quality further downstream and there is a clear need to reduce the amount of faecal matter being deposited directly into the Eye s watercourses. Working with Eye Catchment farmers to reduce this diffuse pollution from grazing livestock, Tweed Forum has been fencing off streams and rivers. However, limiting access can mean that poaching becomes a serious issue at various spot locations and several systems to remove water directly into troughs are now being trialled. Three systems were installed in November 2013: a triple pasture pump (operated by cattle) for cattle watering, a solar-powered system and a gravity-fed ram pump system (PAPA pump). Each of these systems have their relative merits and this first winter will have put them to the test. Each valuable, practical demonstration showing how to get water to livestock without causing pollution to rivers, can be visited on request. Please contact Rebecca.Audsley@sac.co.uk for more details Solar lift pump at Brockholes 5
HABITATS & SPECIES Tweed Invasives Project Our long-term control of Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed continues Above Norham bridge 10 years (l) and today (r). A detailed botanical survey last year showed no Hogweed plants present whatsoever. 6 Our 11th year of invasives control once again proved challenging due to the hugely variable weather in 2013. Following 2012 s very wet conditions, 2013 saw an exceptionally long, cold spring followed by some very warm weather. The prolonged cold weather meant that plant growth was very slow until relatively late in the season and when the Giant Hogweed plants started to grow, they grew quicker than we have ever known. In fact, they started producing flowering heads almost immediately and our contractors struggled to keep on top of the rapidly maturing plants. However, all the ground was covered in the end, though there was a much higher degree of flowering head decapitation rather than the preferred scenario of spraying the emerging vegetation. We have also been using a new piece of kit this year, a remote control aerial drone, to survey the river corridor. The drone can capture video or still footage and is proving an excellent addition to our control programme. If you think you have seen any Giant Hogweed or Japanese Knotweed, please do not hesitate to let us know on 01896 849723 or info@tweedforum.org The Tweed Invasives Project receives significant funding through the CIRB project an INTERREG IVA Crossborder Programme involving partners from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. (The CIRB is part-financed by the European Union s European Regional Development Fund through the INTERREG IVA Cross-border Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.) European Union European Regional Development Fund Investing in your future
HABITATS & SPECIES Ettrick and Yarrow Riparian Improvements Work is ongoing to improve riparian habitat in the Ettrick and Yarrow Catchments Tweed Forum is continuing to work with the Scottish Borders Council (SBC) flood team on natural flood management aspects of the Selkirk Flood Scheme. 10ha of SRDP partfunded new native woodland have been be dammed and filled in with brash, to restore the peatland hydrology and make the moors safer for sheep, who tend to become trapped. At Annelshope, on the Ettrick Marshes, 1500 willow setts, cut from local bushes, have been planted to help to bind the eroding banks of the river and extend the floodplain restoration work done upstream by Borders Forest Trust in 1998. Extent of riparian planting along the Whitehope Burn, Yarrow planted on the headwaters of the Long Philip Burn, matching funding from Black Grouse conservation work coordinated by Borders Forest Trust. In addition, SRDP contracts have been agreed with 3 farms (Whitehope, Kirkhope and Singlie) for a further 10ha of streamside woodland in the Ettrick and Yarrow Valleys and this was planted in April 2014. A 4ha block of deep peat with (dangerous) eroding ditches has been dammed and fenced in the upper Ettrick, and a further 3ha of deep peat will At Bowanhill Farm, where the Teviot emerges from the hills onto the river floodplain, 400m of new channel and 4ha of floodplain woodland have been created. The new channel (constructed to a SEPAapproved design, courtesy of cbec ecoengineering) and woodland (part-funded by SRDP) were both carefully designed to solve a major problem on the farm. Gravel buildup in the main river was causing two small streams, draining the upper silage fields, to become blocked, which would lead to u 7
Bowanhill new channel backwater and floodplain planting u them being unusable. A short-term solution would have been to remove the gravel from the main river but this would only have lasted until the next flood, so an alternative design was put forward by the farmer and refined by consultants under the leadership of Tweed Forum. The resulting natural design of the new channel is taking the flow of the two small streams and letting them exit below the gravel blockage, so that the fall for the field drains remains operational. The end result is that vital upper silage fields have been saved. The 4ha wet field, through which the new meandering channel runs, has been planted up with native trees, predominately Alder and Willow. This work has not only created a greatly enhanced length of channel for fish but will also provide flood storage upstream of Hawick; new woodland habitat; carbon sequestration; sediment storage and consolidation; and ensure drainage for a vital silage field. Funding for this work was also provided by Scottish Borders Council, the tenant farmer, Buccleuch Estates and the Woodland Trust Work in progress in creating the new channel 8
FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLImate change Cheviot Futures Cheviot Futures has now come to an end after 3 years of targeted resilience planning and adaptation works, leaving an important legacy for the future Over 800 individual people engaged with Cheviot Futures (CF) over its 3-year lifetime, a fantastic achievement for project officer Tracy Hall and the CF team. Tracy and colleagues supported100 small businesses, delivered12 training events, oversaw 28 capital works projects, ran 50 awareness raising events and produced 18 publications. By increasing the resilience of farming and land management to the effects of climate change across the crossborder Cheviot Hills landscape, the CF team have had a tangible, positive impact on local communities. Cheviot Futures has been at the forefront of developing the innovative Farm Resilience Planning (FRP) approach, a technique which is now being taken forward by Natural England. The FRP approach takes predicted climate change effects and considers them at the individual farm level. It identifies the impacts on a farm business in addition to potential resilience and adaptation measures that The new PAPA pump system at Mowhaugh which offers the means to water stock away from the river can be adopted to reduce negative impacts and maximise positive opportunities for the farm. During the course of CF, we have completed 19 detailed farm resilience plans as well as providing broader resilience advice to a number of additional farm businesses. Cheviot Futures has implemented a range of resilience capital works projects across the project area, including natural flood management work, such as the ambitious Netherton Burn Runoff Management project at Elilaw Farm, and the innovative range of Engineered Log Jam works on a number of sites throughout the Bowmont Valley. Resilience to wildfire has been explored through the development of a major wildfire pond in the Breamish Valley and the installation of a novel u 9
Trailer-mounted solar-powered watering system u wildfire detection system in the Debdon and Simonside Hills in Northumberland. This work was led by Cheviot Futures partner organisation Northumberland National Park Authority. Other areas of work have included increased resilience to drought conditions through alternative stock watering solutions (whilst also reducing diffuse pollution). This has also seen the development of a prototype all-in-one trailer-mounted, solarpowered watering system, currently being trialled at West Fenton Farm near Wooler. CF has also promoted proactive grassland management to increase water retention in drought conditions and manage field drainage in wet conditions, alongside advice on climate-resilient native tree planting for flood management, habitat creation, windbreak and shade and shelter provision. The CF portfolio is bursting at the seams with examples of a wide range of resilience and adaptation approaches. Alongside the resilience planning and capital works, CF has also played a key role in disseminating the critical effects, impacts and opportunities presented by a changing climate. We have attended many shows and events over the last three years, and have hosted a number of practical demonstration and workshop events ourselves around the themes of grassland management, sustainable water management and alternative water supplies, as well as case study visits to view a range of project sites and works. The project has left a strong legacy - a network of demonstration sites as well as a substantial range of publications. Please see www.cheviotfutures.co.uk or contact Tweed Forum if you would like further information Cheviot Futures has been part-financed by Defra, the Scottish Government and the European Community through the Northumberland Uplands and Scottish Borders LEADER 2007-2013 programme. 10
FLOOD MANAGEMENT & CLImate change Eddleston Water Project The Eddleston Water Project, funded by Scottish Government and SEPA, aims to restore natural habitats and reduce flood risk to Eddleston Village and Peebles A great deal of work has taken place in the catchment over the last year to help restore degraded habitats, increase water storage and slow down flows. The majority of this has occurred in the headwaters where extensive riparian and hillslope planting has taken place, as well as the installation of flow restrictors. However, the biggest work package has taken place on the main stem of the Eddleston Water at Cringletie and Lake Wood. The Eddleston Water was straightened over 200 years ago throughout most of its main stem - this was to make way for a new turnpike road but the railway quickly followed the poker straight Extract from Roy Military Survey of Scotland (1747-1755), clearly showing meandering nature of Eddleston Water at Cringletie and Lakewood The Eddleston at Lake Wood prior to works. This channelised section is typical of much of the main stem course. Unusually, there has been virtually no recovery in sinuosity over this time and it is for this reason that the river has been assigned bad status under the Water Framework Directive classification system. In July 2013, Tweed Forum, together with cbec and Glendinnings, began the process of putting the bends back into the river. Given the size of the river, this was a considerable job, and we were lucky that the weather held to enable the works to be carried out with little disruption. The works withstood the significant floods in December very well and the force of water has now started to sculpt a more natural pool-riffle sequence that will provide much improved habitat for native flora and fauna. It is not only the quality of habitat that is improved but also the quantity. The works have led to a 15% increase in channel length at Cringletie and a 50% increase at u 11
Remeandered section of the Eddleston Water at Lakewood - looking downstream to Cringletie u Lake Wood. This has implications for a host of species, not least fish, thereby protecting and enhancing the economically important salmon fishery. Whilst fish monitoring is challenging in channels of this size, it is not inconceivable that salmonids will increase by the same multiple as channel length. And crucially this extra amount will now be produced in perpetuity. More works of this nature are in the pipeline for this summer. Higher up in the catchment at Ruddenleys farm, a whole suite of Natural Flood Management measures have just been completed. This includes 14ha of native riparian woodland, 12 flow restrictor logjams, and 3 wildlife ponds with extra capacity for floodwater. The planting has been designed to integrate with the other farm activities including sheep farming, horse grazing, clay pigeon shooting and a 4WD school. Next door at Wester Deans and North Cloich, a series of wide, transverse hedges is planned, with riparian planting and more ponds with extra floodwater capacity. All this work is being comprehensively monitored by Dundee University, SEPA, the British Geological Society and the Forestry Commission. Whilst it is too early for any results, this now represents one of the most monitored catchments in the country and a very detailed baseline picture has been established. This is essential if we are to accurately measure what sort of effect these measures are having on flood events and the ecology of the river 12 Remeandered section just after implementation
Education & awareness Priorsford and Eddleston Primary Schools Tweed Forum continues to work with schools adjacent to the Eddleston Water Restoration Project. Using the Natural Flood Management models to demonstrate how positive changes to the landscape can deliver multiple benefits, plus visiting the Cringletie and Lake Wood restoration sites, really does drive home the message. 45 pupils were able to see at firsthand how remeandering an artificially straightened river can benefit salmon, dippers and otters, as well as reducing flooding downstream The Cringletie restoration site Eddleston Primary School project 13
Education & awareness Royal Scottish Forestry Society Visit to the Eddleston catchment Over 20 professional foresters visited new and potential planting sites on the Eddleston water, with some interesting and forthright opinions on the value of riparian tree planting. The design of floodplain woodland was addressed in detail, along with herbicide use, cell grown plants and protection from herbivores. The perennial question of grant funding and new sources of funds, such as payment for carbon sequestration, was also discussed Eddleston floodplain planting Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) Schools Event Tweed Forum was one of six organisations taking part in a 2-day Food and Farming event for secondary school pupils at Springwood Park, Kelso in November 2013. Integrated Catchment Management was the Tweed Forum theme, with Tracy Hall, Cheviot Futures Project Officer, covering farm resilience in the face of climate change, and Hugh Chalmers demonstrating the benefits of landscape scale enhancements for natural flood management. The combination of these topics with presentations on precision farming, soils and fertilisers, animal breeding, upland land management (the deer carcass stole the show!) and cereal production, meant that over 200 S2 and S3 pupils were able to experience a taste of what is really happening in the countryside and the skills, knowledge and expertise which underpin food production and other ecosystem services Dublin Institute of Technology Visit to Eddleston A joint visit of students from Dublin and staff from Dundee and Edinburgh Universities toured the Eddleston Water to see the latest phase of completed practical works to restore the river and the natural flood reduction attributes which existed before extensive changes to the catchment were made, hundreds of years ago. Students were able to see for themselves extensive areas of upland riparian native tree planting, high-flow restricting log-jams, ponds with extra flood capacity and 800m of restored river channel 14
other news Minister Opens Eddleston Water Project Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, visited the Eddleston Water Project last summer and got actively involved in the physical works. He met key people from the project partnership whilst walking the stretch being restored. Furthermore, under the expert eye of Scott McColm of Glendinning Groundworks, the Minister also had an opportunity to drive the digger and carry out the final cut that introduced the river to its new course. Given the amount of media attention this was not without a degree of pressure, but fortunately he showed a natural talent for this sort of work Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, opens the new meandering channel. The project team Paul Wheelhouse MSP (in the cab), from left, Scott McColm (Glendinning Groundworks), Hugh Chalmers, Luke Comins (Tweed Forum), Hamish Moir (cbec), Chris Spray (Dundee University), Debi Garft, Bob McIntosh (Scottish Government), Bob Kay (Tweed Forum). 15
other news Hedge-Laying Training Event In November 2013, 8 local participants took part in a hedge-laying training day which was facilitated by Tweed Forum. The training took place at Kirklands Farm which is owned and farmed by Mr Jamie Hedge laying in action Scott who has a real passion for promoting traditional countryside management skills. The course was led by Mr Mike Wade, a retired professional hedge-layer, and assisted by Mr Graeme Walker, an experienced local hedge-layer. Good weather and the opportunity to learn more about a worthwhile skill, one in danger of dying out, made an enjoyable day for everyone. The Scottish Borders has a huge hedgerow resource which provides a range of functions such as barriers to livestock, shelter for animals, habitats for wildlife and significant landscape features. It is important that these landscape features are managed as part of seasonal farming operations in order to maintain their original function and this training event was aimed at helping local land managers achieve this outcome The Scottish Rivers Handbook: A guide to the physical character of Scotland s rivers This excellent publication is aimed at the interested layperson and river manager, and presents information in clear text and illustrative photos. Of particular note is a chapter entitled Wood in rivers as this gives the context for much of the river restoration work which Tweed Forum has been involved with recently on the Bowmont, Gala, Teviot, Eye and Eddleston Waters. It explains how the loss of riparian woodland over the last 5000 years has led to the loss of dead wood material in rivers, material which has very important functions in habitat provision, regulating flow, managing sediment and providing cover for fish. The riparian woodlands themselves input a great deal of food for fish in the form of leaves (to be broken down by riverine creatures) and terrestrial invertebrates, as well as providing shade to prevent excessively high temperatures. (Charles Perfect, Stephen Addy and David Gilvear, 2013. Available online at: www.crew.ac.uk/publications) 16
other news Wetland Futures 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands Professor Chris Spray (Tweed Forum Trustee) was invited to open the conference Wetland Futures 2013: The Value of Healthy Wetlands held in York in October 2013. He chaired the first session, before returning later on to speak on the work he and Tweed Forum have been doing on Working with wetlands - catchment benefits for wetlands and land managers on Tweed Prof. Chris Spray, presenting at Wetland Futures 2013 Working the Tweed Working the Tweed is a collaboration between artists Kate Foster (visual artist), Jules Horne (writer), Claire Pençak (choreographer), James Wyness (composer), Tweed Forum and the Southern Uplands Partnership with the aim of connecting people who work on Tweed with the local artistic community. A series of riverside meetings were scheduled along the river focusing on different diverse aspects such as water supply, salmon netting and the Land Use Strategy. In November, an exhibition was held at Harestanes Countryside Centre and featured some Tweed Forum-related projects and artefacts, in particular, field drains! Whilst excavating the new course of the Eddleston at a key re-meandering site, Scott McColm, our digger operator, uncovered at least 4 different types of clay drainage tile, representing at least 4 separate attempts to drain the low-lying ground. One in particular caught his eye, a simple n shaped profile, handmade tile with delicate finger marks inside where it had been lifted from a mould before firing. The artists helping with electrofishing This gave a tangible link with past people who had worked on the land, draining boggy ground. The artists and friends were also fascinated by the fish rescue which was part of the work to create the new channel. Tweed Foundation staff skilfully electrofished the pools in the old channel, whilst volunteers carried the young trout, salmon, eels and lampreys downstream to safety 17
other news Spreading the word natural flood management NFM catchment model at the Peebles show 18 Tweed Forum continues to have a key role in promoting the natural flood management (NFM) agenda and wider integrated catchment at a national level. This work is supported by Scottish Government and is being done through a combination of hosting sites visits for practitioners and policy makers, mentoring other projects outwith the catchment, contributing to workshops, conferences, and policy groups. Our NFM catchment models were displayed at many key agricultural shows during 2013, including the Royal Highland Show, Black Isle Show, Scottish Game Fair, Glendale Show, Yetholm, Peebles, Yarrow and Border Union Shows. Over 3,000 schoolchildren learned more about NFM via these innovative catchment models during the BUAS bicentenary schools day and Glendale Children s Show Day. The models also featured at the annual SNIFFER Flood Risk Management Conference in January 2014 in Edinburgh. Tweed Forum is also working with Scotland s Rural College (SRUC) on their Farming for a Better Climate Programme, developing an information sheet on NFM measures as well as featuring Crookston as a case study. Tweed Forum shares a clear link with SRUC s remit and we are now helping their Education Department facilitate NFM and integrated catchment management site visits as well as assisting with undergraduate courses. We have also been inputting to Scottish Government on the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP)
other news 2014-20 biodiversity and water related land management options. Many of the SRDP team visited recently to see how we have implemented catchment-scale projects on the ground and how this might be encouraged in the new Programme. They were particularly interested in our collaborative, landscape-scale projects as cooperation will be a key element within the next SRDP Peatland Action Fund Tweed Forum is assisting Scottish Natural Heritage in promoting the Peatland Action Fund. The primary objective of the fund is to restore peatlands (over 50cm deep) to maintain them as carbon stores and to encourage carbon sequestration. Secondary objectives include raising awareness of the role of peatlands and their ecosystem service function. In essence, it is to help inform society about the valuable role that peatlands have with respect to enhancing wildlife conservation, combatting climate change and assisting with water flow regulation. It is also about facilitating practical restorative action on site. Items that may be eligible for funding include such works as: ditch blocking, tree removal on deep peat, site monitoring, peatland restoration and advisory support. Habitats for restoration include: blanket bogs, raised bogs and fens which are at least 60% organic material and comprise at least 50cm deep peat. Funding of capital costs up to 100% may be eligible but a cash or in-kind contribution will be looked upon favourably. Ditches are often not that obvious and can be surprisingly deep! This one, recently blocked in the Upper Ettrick, drains 4 hectares of deep peat and has claimed the life of many a sheep in its time. Annual area payments for ongoing management are not eligible. Tweed Forum has taken on Maggie Magee (who will be known to many as an ex Borders FWAG advisor) to help coordinate the project and develop applications. Please do get in touch if you have any sites in mind maggie.magee@tweedforum.org 19
Networking, raising awareness, education and communication Tweed Forum staff were very active in the last year and hosted or gave talks at 70 different events including: presentations at conferences demonstrating our models at shows and education events hosting site visits for a variety of policy and special interest groups school trips including Citizen Science events organising community meetings, workshops and other stakeholder events on a variety of subjects from riverworks to wider land use management Tweed Forum Funding Due to the complexity and number of project funders we are unable to list all the contributing bodies in the relevant sections of the newsletter. However, the following have contributed to Tweed Forum, and associated projects, over the last year: - British Geological Survey - Dundee University - EDF Renewables - Environment Agency - Forest Carbon Ltd - Forestry Commission Scotland - INTERREG IVA Cross-border Programme - Northumberland Uplands LEADER - Natural England - Northumberland National Park Authority - Northumbrian Water - River Tweed Commission - The Rivers Trust - Roxburghe Estates - Scottish Borders Council - Scottish Borders LEADER - Scottish Environment Protection Agency - The Scottish Government - Scottish Natural Heritage - Scottish Power - The Water Environment Fund - The Woodland Trust - Tweed Foundation and a large number of farmers and landowners The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas European Union European Regional Development Fund Investing in your future Tweed Forum, South Court, Drygrange Steading, Melrose, TD6 9DJ T 01896 849723 E info@tweedforum.org www.tweedforum.org AT THE HEART OF LAND & WATER MANAGEMENT ON TWEED