A Plan of Action for Peatlands?
A letter published in the Scotsman this week was a real gem. Roy Turnbull, argued well that Scotland should do more to value its forests, peatlands and upland areas as huge stores of carbon and for their ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soil and vegetation. He described these areas as Scotland’s Amazon. I agree with his sentiments - especially the need for Government to put the same efforts into peatland restoration as it has into renewables.
Perhaps Mr Turnbull was a few days too soon with his letter as today sees the long-awaited publication of the National Peatland Plan by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). But does this document outline how Scotland’s vast peatlands will be restored and how their profile raised to Amazonian status?
RSPB Scotland Forsinard Flows (Eleanor Bentall rspb-images.com)
A restored peatbog is a wonderful wet mossy world capping a deep store of carbon rich peaty soil, and is a haven for special wildlife. Hen harriers, dunlin, black-throated divers, and otters all thrive there, and amazing plants like the insectivorous sundew find a niche amongst the mosses and bog pools. A healthy peatbog is naturally a great home for nature and locks away huge quantities of carbon in its damp peaty soils – so good also for our climate targets.
RSPB Scotland has worked for years to restore a section of the huge 1,500 square miles of the Flow Country. At our reserve at Forsinard we have blocked ditches and removed poorly-sited conifer trees from mile upon mile of damaged peatbog to stop the carbon emissions and restore ideal habitat. It’s hard work but we have experimented to find the best techniques and seen the benefits. We have a vision to work in partnership with Government, SNH, landowners and others to extend the reach of these efforts so that much more of Scotland has the opportunity to experience the benefits of wonderful peatland wildlife, clean water and carbon savings.
Black-throated diver (Andy Hay (rspb-images.com
Peatlands often exist in remote rural areas where the extra resources and jobs associated with managing and repairing our peatlands are much needed. Restoring peatlands offers rural communities not just a better environment with stable soils and improved water quality but also a chance to become part of the new agenda where the benefits to society of healthy peatlands are reflected in the public and private support given to land managers. This is a far more stable, long-term funding route than exploiting our peatlands and damaging them for short term gain.
SNH’s Peatland Plan sets out why peatlands are so important to Scotland and makes the case well for putting right the damage done to our peatland habitats. I welcome the vision to secure healthy biodiverse peatlands and supporting their natural function. But is this an effective plan - a sound plan of action?
Interestingly, page 28 details the ‘restoration chain of action’ needed to realise successful peatland restoration on the ground. It lists: ‘a) knowledge of what needs to be done; b) practical expertise to carry out the restoration work; c) a willing landowner/ manager; d) sufficient resources to undertake the work; e) the know-how to secure resources and f) the commitment and support to maintain the benefits.’
Sundew (Ben Andrew rspb-images.com)
If we apply these planning steps at the national scale we find that there are a few links missing in the national chain of action. We have the knowledge and the practical expertise to make peatland restoration happen in Scotland. There are also plenty of land owners and land managers willing to act now. What’s missing is the sufficient resource and the commitment to keep going till the job is done.
These missing links must be addressed by the Scottish Government. It holds the purse, controls the policies which can commit Scotland to long-term peatland restoration and has the power to prevent activities which damage peatlands. Government must now provide a response. It must bring these commitments to the new National Peatland Group which will oversee the tasks ahead. There are lots of people and organisations wanting to see peatland restoration happen, not least those experiencing the impact of climate change right now. No-one wants to rely on a weak chain.