Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Scottish Water’s approval of the 10-year Land Management Plan (LMP) for the Loch Katrine estate means the project has taken a major step forward, with plans in place to create a massive 4,600 hectare woodland area equivalent to more than that. 6440 football pitches.
Chiefs say this will be done mainly through re-wilding and natural production efforts.
The scheme, which is being carried out in partnership between Scottish Water and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), estimates that it will see a 40 per cent increase in biodiversity status across the site, capturing up to one million tonnes of carbon over the next 60 years.
Dr Mark Williams, Scottish Water’s Head of Sustainability and Climate Change, said: “Loch Katrine is an extremely significant site in terms of Scotland’s natural environment, as well as being the basis of an essential service for around a quarter of Scotland’s population.
“It has peatland, moorland and woodland habitats of national importance, which offer many recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike, but which are also vitally important in our work to mitigate the impact of the climate crisis.
“The energy required to provide essential water and wastewater services makes Scottish Water one of the largest single consumers of electricity in the country, and while we work hard to eliminate emissions across all our assets, we must also ensure that the woodland, peatlands and natural habitats across our land holdings thrive, can lock in carbon and support our journey to net zero emissions.”
Loch Katrine – an 8-mile stretch of fresh water – supplies water to 1.3 million people in the Greater Glasgow area and other parts of the Central Belt through infrastructure built mainly by Victorian pioneers.
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It is surrounded by 9,500 hectares of land owned and managed by FLS and located in the heart of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
Climate change has caused problems around the area with more extreme rainfall in recent years pushing organic material into the lake and on to the water treatment plant.
By restoring the land around Loch Katrine, bosses hope it will curb the effects of climate change making the area more resilient to extreme weather and ensure water can ‘continue to be treated to the high standards customers expect’ expected’.
Dr Williams added “By adopting a catchment-wide approach, this 10-year plan sets out a long-term vision that will help ensure the resilience and quality of Loch Katrine as an essential water supply for the 22nd Century while also supporting nature, tourism. , and the rural economy.”
The creation of woodland in the area will now look at encouraging the native woodland, which currently exists at lower levels in the catchment, to expand to sites at a higher elevation – linking woodland from the lake shores with woodland in the nearby hills.
The project will see a variety of healthy peatland, heath and woodland habitats which will benefit the area’s wildlife diversity – including badgers, bats, a variety of birds, and particularly rare species, such as the pearl-spotted butterfly.
Simon Jones, Director of Environment and Visitor Services at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “This marks another major step towards the National Park Authority’s aim to reverse the decline in nature by 2030 and see widespread recovery in nature by 2040.
Without a doubt, the water, the peatland and the woodland in the Park are our greatest allies when tackling the twin crises of the loss of the natural world and the climate crisis.
“As well as our wildlife, the wider natural environment helps deliver many essential aspects of our lives, from the nutritional value and availability of our food, and the health benefits of good air quality, to the livelihoods of those involved with him. Only by working in partnership like this will we achieve the scale of change needed to ensure a sustainable future for the National Park.”
Cameron Maxwell, Conservator of Perth and Argyll with Forestry Scotland, added: “We were delighted to approve this ambitious new native woodland proposal on the land around Loch Katrine, continuing the expansion of the Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve.”
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24603162.plans-approved-combat-climate-change-loch-katrine/?ref=rss
