Sheheree Bog was legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1990.^[1] It is also a Special Area of Conservation.^[2] The designation of Sheheree Bog with 18 other bogs as SACs led to a ban on turf cutting, which was a controversial decision in Ireland at the time.^[3][4]

Sheheree Bog is the only raised bog in the Killarney area, with a well-developed marginal drainage system, also known as a lagg, which is rare in Ireland. The slender cotton grass, a protected plant species, is found on the reserve. The comparative studies between Sheheree Bog and other Killarney or Owenreagh valley intermediate and blanket bogs is considered to be very valuable.^[5] The Bog is classed as degraded, but capable of regeneration.^[2]