The TGA is involved in two current, but linked projects – the first is in partnership with Bioregioning Tayside and is called the River Ericht Catchment Restoration Initiative (RECRI):
Aims & Objectives
Woodland Creation
Depending on landowner permissions, we estimate that up to 29,000 hectares of new woodland could be created in the Ericht catchment, of which 667 hectares would be within 15 metres of rivers.
Peatland Restoration
While woodland creation presents a greater opportunity for impact, peatland restoration opportunities will also be assessed across the 4,780 hectares of blanket bog in the catchment.
Easing Fish Passage
We will work with our partners and other organisations to ease and/or remove active barriers to allow fish migration, one of the priority actions identified in the Scottish Government’s new Wild Salmon Strategy Implementation Plan 2023 – 2028.
Blended Finance
This first stage of the project will design a new Special Purpose Vehicle to attract public and private finance into all the nature restoration projects that are identified and involve local communities in its governance and as investors.
Money was secured for the first stage in competition with several environmental groups and projects
In all these environmental projects it is vitally important to secure support from a variety of community interests . The partnership group for RECRI is led by Bioregioning Tayside and includes community anchor organisations, Blairgowrie & Rattray Development Trust and Mount Blair Community Development Trust, local wild fisheries experts, the Tay Ghillies Association, the Cateran Ecomuseum, the catchment’s principle heritage and tourism destination, Bioregioning Tayside, a new platform that is catalysing community responses to climate change and biodiversity collapse across the whole Tay catchment and Palladium, a project developer specialising in nature finance from the public and private sector.

The report from phase 1 is fascinating and informative and shows the complexities involved in catchment restoration and is HERE
