Land management services

Tender description

Natural Resources Wales is planning to undertake a pan-Wales programme of Peatland management, focusing initially on the hydrological restoration of damaged, degraded lowland and upland and post-felling bogs, this requirements will be largely delivered by low ground pressure excavators undertaking operations such as ditch-blocking, gully blocking, low elevation bunding and ground smoothing. Vegetation management is also required to achieve the anticipated outcomes which will include felling of trees using chainsaws/clearing saws and strimming or mowing other target species. NRW is looking to establish a 4-year framework with suppliers to provide the above services. The tender will be split into four lots: 1) Covering hydrological restoration works on lowland and upland bogs; 2) Hydrological restoration of previously afforested bogs; 3) Tree removal from bogs; and 4) Vegetation management works. Each lot will be split into four, smaller sub-lots based on NRW operational boundaries across Wales. These geographical sub-lots will cover: North Wales, Mid-Wales, South Wales and Pen y Cymoedd in Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taff. These works are required to reinstate the hydrological function of the remnant bog features on the sites to which they will be applied. Bogs are essentially low-flow hydrological systems, so any drainage infrastructure installed for afforestation, or erosion features naturally occurring or man-made, increase water flow off the bog and therefore lead to degradation of the underlying peat. Restoration of the natural hydrological conditions will reinstate blanket bog functionality and reverse the processes of erosion and re-establish peat forming conditions. Techniques and operations for restoring other native habitats included in the Pen y Cymoedd Habitat Management Plan will be undertaken off this FWA using the same machinery types as required to deliver the above works. WGWE refers to the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. This lot is split into 4 regional sub-lots: North Wales, Mid Wales, South Wales and Pen-y-Cymoedd (which is located in the Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taff local authority areas). This lot is for the skilful manipulation of peat and other wetland soil types with tracked excavators for a range of restoration techniques, including raising and stabilising water levels, re-vegetating of bare peat, stopping peat erosion and cutting of dominant vegetation on Welsh Peatlands. The methods proposed primarily relate to unforested upland blanket bog and lowland bogs and fens. WGWE refers to the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. This lot is split into 3 regional sub-lots: North, Mid and South Wales. This framework will cover physical removal of scrub and unwanted vegetation from Peatland site across Wales. Works may be required on All the project sites that are environmentally sensitive and are legally protected at a National and European level for their wildlife interest. These sites may include, but are not limited to, National Nature Reserves, Welsh Government Woodland Estate, third sector and local authority land and privately owned land (with access and permissions agreed by NRW). This lot is split into 3 regional areas (excluding Pen-y-Cymoedd, which has slightly different work outlined in lot 4); North, Mid and South Wales. These restoration works are part of a Section 106 planning condition as mitigation for the development of the Pen y Cymoedd windfarm. Lot 4 is focussed on the delivery of tree felling, strimming and general, manual vegetation management on restoration sites either prior to or following the hydrological restoration operations detailed in Lot 2.