Clifton Bain

Director IUCN UK Peatland Programme

UK Peatlands Programme 2009 – 2012

The programme’s long term vision is for the multiple benefits and heritage values of peatlands to be widely understood and appreciated and for peatlands to be functioning to their full natural potential. There would be no further loss of peatland ecosystems in the UK and all recoverable peatlands would be restored to their active state, with long-term protection and sustainable management. In the short term, the Programme’s aim is for high-level policy to invest now in securing the benefits and heritage values of peatland conservation and avoid the costly consequences of peatland deterioration.

The three-year strategy will focus on providing the advocacy and knowledge to inform policy and will help share knowledge on practical restoration approaches and build consensus on the scientific evidence for the ecosystem services that peatlands offer.

Peatland Ecosystem Services

• Water quality and management

• Climate change mitigation and adaptation

• Sport and leisure

North York Moors National Park

ORGANIC MATTER

Organic Carbon (%) No Data 0 - 1 1 - 2 2 - 5 5 - 10 10 - 25 25 - 35 > 35

Hill Drains

Ben Hope, Sutherland

Windfarms and Peat

Peak District Blanket BogThe most degraded upland peat anywhere in Europe following 200 years of

atmospheric pollution and fire damage.

Black Hill 2005

Moors for the Future – landscape scale restoration starting in 2002……….

Black Hill 2008

….but still significant erosion to overcome…..

Woodhead estate, Bleaklow Moor….Today

Aims of the Inquiry

•To provide an authoritative briefing on the state of peatlands, the impacts of different activities and the benefits and opportunities for restoring them

•To build a consensus between science, policy and practice aimed at supporting action – recognising the range of social, environmental and economic drivers

•To manage the process through partnership and to encourage broad ownership

Review Teams

1. State of peatlands

2. Climate change (in collaboration with JNCC review)

3. Peatland biodiversity

4. Impacts of peatland restoration

5. Impacts of burning management

6. Peatland hydrology

7. Policy measures for sustainable management