Peatland restoration on the frontline of climate action

Barry Dunne, Peatland ACTION Project Manager – Delivery – at NatureScot highlights the availability of funding for potential peatland restoration projects across Scotland and the many benefits this can bring

PEATLANDS NOT WASTELANDS

Peatlands, or areas of land primarily made of partially decomposed organic plant material (mostly mosses) called peat, cover more than 20% of Scotland’s land area.

Peat is the largest and most efficient land-based store of carbon; capable of storing on average 10 times more carbon per hectare than any other land-based ecosystem. However, Scotland’s peatlands are in such poor condition that they are emitting carbon rather than storing it. The best available evidence suggests damaged peatlands are responsible for 20% of Scotland’s total carbon emissions. That’s a lot of carbon being released into the air and washed down our burns.

THE BENEFITS OF PEATLAND RESTORATION

What can we do? We can restore peatlands to a condition where they are functioning properly once again. Creating conditions to encourage the growth of active peat-forming plant species, starts the process of changing the peatland from one that is emitting carbon to one that is actively capturing it.

The restoration of peatlands can deliver a range of other benefits too. For example, restoration improves the surface habitat leading to greater plant diversity and in turn higher numbers of invertebrates, a food source for birds such as grouse and other upland species. Restored areas absorb and hold rainwater for longer than damaged areas before slowly allowing it to seep into river systems. This regulation of water flow is important as it reduces the likelihood of flooding downstream. It also helps alleviate issues associated with drought conditions such as wild fires. Restoration reduces soil erosion helping to improve water quality at source, which is important for fisheries, and drinking water catchments; and it helps to support our economy whether used in farming, tourism or crofting, or by indirectly benefitting whisky production.

PEATLAND ACTION

Over the past 10 years Peatland ACTION delivery partners, with funding from the Scottish Government’s pathway to net-zero, have made tremendous progress in improving the condition of degraded peatlands across Scotland. To date NatureScot, through the Peatland ACTION Fund has put over 30,000 hectares of peatlands on the road to restoration.

And, with a further commitment by Scottish Government of £250m over the next 10 years Peatland ACTION is aiming to have restored 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030. This investment and target means peatland restoration will continue to be one of the most important nature-based mechanisms available to help deliver Scotland’s ambitions to reach net-zero by 2045.

NatureScot, and the other Peatland ACTION delivery partners (Cairngorms National Park Authority; Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority; Forestry and Land Scotland; and Scottish Water) are ramping up efforts to meet this ambition and we are actively seeking to support landowners to get involved in peatland restoration and its sustainable management.

NATURESCOT PEATLAND ACTION FUND

We offer funding for suitable restoration projects across Scotland; there are no geographical restrictions or target areas.

We fund up to 100% of the capital costs for work such as ditch blocking and re-profiling, bare peat restoration, hag restoration, and where appropriate we make multi-year offers so the work can be phased. We fund much of the required pre-application work (e.g. peat depth surveys and feasibility studies) and we have a team of project officers across Scotland who are there to help with project development and the completion of applications.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The majority of the peatland within a project area must have a peat depth of over 50cm, but peat depths down to 30cm will be considered for restoration if they form an intrinsic component of the peat hydrology.