Ecological Assistance to Peatland Restoration and Rehabilitation Projects

Tender description

The Department provides the legislative and policy framework for the conservation of nature and biodiversity in Ireland. It also oversees its implementation, based on good science, with particular emphasis on the protection of habitats and species. In terms of environment and biological diversity, Ireland’s raised bogs are of importance not only nationally, but they are of European and indeed global significance. Last year Bord na Móna announced the cessation of peat extraction on all of their bogs. Peat had been extracted from these Bord na Móna bogs under Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licences issued and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. As part of Condition 10 of this licence, decommissioning and rehabilitation must be carried out when industrial peat production ceases. In line with Bord na Móna’s accelerated decarbonisation strategy, and the availability of significant government funding, the company has also committed to an ambitious rehabilitation programme – the Enhanced peatland Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme (EDRRS and hereafter ‘the Scheme’; https://www.bnmpcas.ie/), targeting c.33,000 hectares in over 80 Bord na Móna bogs. This Scheme has been developed to optimise ecosystem service benefits of peatland rehabilitation and restoration, particularly carbon storage and reducing carbon emissions. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communciation are administering EDRRS while Bord na Móna is the operator. The NPWS has been appointed as Regulator for the Scheme. This tender is seeking the provision of scientific and technical support to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The successful contractor will assist in the implementation of national conservation and management objectives for Ireland’s network of raised bogs, particularly providing input into the completion of The Living Bog LIFE project and to the assist the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department in their capacity as the Regulator to the Enhanced De