The peat debate: should peat bogs be utilised as a resource or conserved as rare natural habitats?

The peat debate: should peat bogs be utilised as a resource or conserved as rare natural habitats? Introduction In 1988 the Secretary of State gave clearance to the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to designate up to half of the remaining 3500 km2 of peatland in Caithness and Sutherland as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Four years later, Highland Regional Council (HRC) identified Caithness as an area strategically suited to the development of peat extraction on a …

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