United Utilities is to fence some of the highest and most remote points in Lancashire, ravaged by wildfires sixty years ago, to allow its eroded landscape to recover.
The 1951 blaze caused damage to some of the rarest blanket bog on the Bowland Fells. Now, funding from Natural England is helping to restore the land, which has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Protection.
United Utilities, the landowners, are to install temporary sheep-proof fences to allow overgrazed moorland to regenerate.
The Bowland Fells has one of the rarest habitats in the North West of England. Species including sphagnum moss, bog rosemary and cranberry. Around 70 hectares of moorland has had heather cuttings known as brash spread on bare areas of peat. On steeper parts of the Fells "logs" made from coir will be placed to capture peat as it moves downslope to provide a stable surface for seed germination.
United Utilities said that local tenant farmers support the restoration and fencing scheme, which could remain in place for up to 15 years.
The firm said that restoring blanket bogs such as those within the Forest of Bowland so that they function as naturally as possible, would improve the ability of the upland environment to mitigate the unavoidable impacts of climate change.
A biodegradable geotextile mat will cover eroding areas to limit impact of rainfall and surface water flow. Grass is then sown which helps bind the loose peat together. Healthy peat is the UK's most effective way of capturing carbon, cutting harmful emissions.
Caroline Holden, land agent for United Utilities, commented:
"The ultimate aim is to restore the moors to their former glory, safeguarding important bird-breeding areas, wildlife habitats and restoring natural raw water catchment land, will improve the quality of water at the tap."
The Forest of Bowland is a significant water catchment area that supplies 250,000 homes in East and West Lancashire. United Utilities is working in partnership with Natural England and the RSPB on the restoration of moorland at two sites in the region Bowland and the Peak District.
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