Peatland ACTION - Technical Compendium - Restoration - 10 Track removal or reinstatement
10. Tracks: Creation, Use, and Reinstatement
Aim of the technique
It is important to identify situations where tracks are used, created, or damaged by peatland restoration activities, as they may need to be restored after completion of the restoration works. Restoration work can sometimes create temporary, vegetated, tracks, by using the same land repeatedly for machinery access. Formal, existing, tracks can also be accidentally damaged by works and this risk needs to be considered.
General guidance and principles - read me first
Best Practice
- Access must be a key consideration when planning a project. Route selection must be carefully considered. Routes should as far as possible avoid areas of priority habitats, both any already known and mapped and any others found by walking potential route options.
- Damage to access routes on existing tracks can be greatly reduced by adopting sensitive driving techniques, avoid excessive speed and resulting wheel/track spin, avoid tight turns, control descending machinery to avoid surface shear of vegetation.
- The growing season in upland areas can be very short and therefore tracked areas take a long time to recover.
- To avoid damage to vegetation on temporary access routes off existing tracks, steeper slopes should be avoided and where possible, adopt routes over robust vegetation that are less susceptible to track or wheel damage. Track up one way and come back down another. After one week track a different way.
- Use matting/bog mats/temporary crossing points to minimise damage.
- If vehicles are being used to reach low ground pressure excavators on a daily basis, then consider their impact. Tracked vehicles are usually less damaging than e.g. a quad bike. Projects usually use low ground pressure excavators with wide track and a tracked argocat for accessing machines.
- Remember routes will have to be identified and could be frequently used by machines to re-fuel.
Points to Remember
- Damage must be repaired and this may need accounting for in the restoration project.
- Access routes should be defined from the beginning of the project in discussion with Peatland ACTION project officers (especially if on a Protected Area).
- Consider the daily commute to e.g., upland sitea. Is a remote workstation required?
- Landowner may not want a track and so liaison with landowner is essential.
- Tracks may be used by others too and so could become permanent features.
Further Guidance & Support
Further Guidance & Support
See our technical compendium for other techniques in the series.
Peatland ACTION Project Officers are available to help you with your project. Please contact us as at [email protected] to be put in touch with your local Officer.
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