Sheheree Bog was legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1990.

[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.

[5] The Bog is classed as degraded, but capable of regeneration.