Major green projects including woodland expansion and flood prevention along the River Dee have been given a financial boost of more than half a million pounds.
Thanks to funding from several sources including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Scottish Government, a network of 22 projects across the Cairngorms National Park will benefit from £43 million worth of funding.
Throughout Deeside, a number of key environmental initiatives have been making a big difference over the past few years, including the restoration of the Easter Beltie waterway near Torphins, and using deer legs in the River Muick to provide more nutrients for important species like salmon.
But with the new funding secured, even more large-scale projects like peatland and floodplain restoration will be able to go ahead for the benefit of both local communities and the region’s ecosystems.
Salmon, mussels and otters
Susan Cooksley, the manager of the Dee Catchment Partnership which represents all those responsible for the health of the Dee, said she is excited to see river restoration work being carried out for the benefit of the protected species that call the waterway home.
Susan Cooksley.She said: “The Dee is recognised the world over as an important habitat for Atlantic salmon, freshwater pearl mussel and otter, and is a designated Special Area of Conservation specifically to protect these populations – which means that any proposed works in the area must give special consideration to these natural habitats.
“But species such as salmon and the pearl mussel are now significantly diminished in the river, so restoration projects like re-meandering the Easter Beltie – which amongst many benefits brought rapid recovery for salmon at a local scale and will have extensive benefits further downstream – are more important than ever, as the climate warms and biodiversity struggles to adapt.”
The funding will also help with reuniting areas of the Dee with floodplains, in order to reduce the risk of flooding during extreme weather events.
Wider restoration projects
Parts of Deeside will also benefit from £17m of woodland expansion and peatland restoration planned for the Cairngorms National Park, which will include the creation of an extra 5,000 hectares of hill and riverside trees between 2023 and 2028, and the restoration of around 4,625 areas of peatland, which acts as an important carbon store.
Sally Mackenzie, a conservation officer for the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said: “It’s vital that these funding opportunities continue so we can build on all the great work done so far, and help to create a climate-resilient National Park that serves the needs of both people and nature, helping Scotland to meet its international biodiversity commitments by 2030 and beyond.”