Scotland’s pioneering Peatland ACTION programme has published a vital new source of information and guidance on peatland restoration as it marks its first decade.
The best practice guide to peatland restoration techniques has been compiled by NatureScot, Scotland’s nature agency, and is built on the shared experiences of the Peatland ACTION programme since its inception in 2012.
As well as providing an overview of future restoration requirements in Scotland, it serves as a guide to the types of work that have already been undertaken over the past decade.
The guide – a technical compendium – includes novel techniques developed by the Peatland ACTION partnership, such as wave damming and zipping and new generation forest-to-bog restoration options.
It includes information on the requirements for peatland restoration in Scotland and the potential means to achieve success, and paves the way towards a UK-wide set of principles.
NatureScot’s Peatland ACTION Programme Manager, Peter Hutchinson said:
“Since 2012, Peatland ACTION has set over 35,000 ha of degraded peatland on the road to recovery realising huge benefits for climate change and biodiversity, and supporting good, green jobs.
“Establishing a best practice guide for how to restore Scotland’s peatlands is a welcome achievement as we mark Peatland ACTION’s first decade.
“It demonstrates that our sights are set firmly on the future as we support the sector with the clarity of professional guidance it requires to ensure its contribution to mitigating the climate and nature crises”
Peatlands are one of Scotland’s largest degraded ecosystems.
When peatlands are degraded the benefits they bring as a carbon store are lost – contributing to climate change rather than mitigating it.
NatureScot remains the lead delivery partner responsible for meeting Scotland’s peatland restoration targets (along with Forestry and Land Scotland, Cairngorm National Park Authority, Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and Scottish Water).
It is training new contractors and designers to expand the workforce and to support Scotland’s nature restoration ambitions.
It is developing pre-apprenticeship schemes, and supported the country’s already over-subscribed first academic course in peatland restoration with Scotland’s Rural College.
The new Peatland ACTION guidance is available at: https://www.nature.scot/doc/peatland-action-technical-compendium
