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It's a Bog's Life

For release 22 December 2000

Wherever you go in Ireland, bogs and fens are an integral part of the
character of the land. But they need our support if they are to remain wild,
wet and wonderful places. This is why the Irish Peatland Conservation
Council is taking action for bogs all year round.

Protection of sites is the cornerstone of the Save the Bogs Campaign. To
this end the Irish Government is being urged to take stronger action to
preserve fens following IPCC's discovery of 65 new sites in the midlands and
west of the country.

The plea is being made by the IPCC after the annual review of the Save the
Bogs Campaign 2000. Described as Ireland's Amazon, fens are a refuge for
hundreds of species of plants and animal and are valuable for habitats of
fresh water, springs, wet woodland and swamp. All this could be lost if
Government does not commit resources and staff to a systematic survey of
fens in Ireland.

Members of the public can also play their part in saving the bogs by
sponsoring an acre of fen in return for a symbolic share certificate.Through
this scheme IPCC purchased the fen peatland of Fenor bog in Co. Waterford in
partnership with the local community. This is a unique natural heritage area
preserved for posterity.

Giving people a role in preserving our heritage is crucial to the success of
the Save the Bogs's Campaign. IPCC took steps towards inspiring confidence
among people though the distribution of an education pack focusing on
cutover and cutaway bogs of the midlands. With this pack transition year
students will be able to make informed decisions about the future uses of
this important resource. Information about this issue has been made
available to members of the public via the IPCC's web site at www.ipcc.ie as
part of our outreach education programme.

IPCC took a stand against the proposed airstrip in Conamara at Cleggan bog,
which we believe will destroy an important part of the region's heritage. We
continued our campaign against the insensitive location of wind farms in the
country's mountains by objecting to the Corrie Hill wind farm in Co.
Leitrim. The council also called on Government to bring the extraction of
turf and peat from raised bogs under the control of the Environmental Impact
Assessment Directive.

Monitoring the threat to peatland from the many road improvement schemes
planned as part of the nation's on-going development was also a major part
of IPCC's campaign work during the year and is likely to occupy much of our
time in the coming years when bogs will face this new threat to their
continued survival.
______________________________________
Irish Peatland Conservation Council
119 Capel Street
Dublin 1
Ireland

Fax: +353-1-8722397
Telephone:+353-1-8722384
E-mail: info@ipcc.ie
Web site: http://www.ipcc.ie

IPCC - Action for Bogs - Ag caomhnu na bportach

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