North peatland restorers reach 20-year milestone

THE drive to restore damaged peatland in three northern counties has reached a 20-year milestone.

- TONY HENDERSON

> Dawn of a new life for peatland in the North Pennines

The work by the North Pennines National Landscape team in the uplands of County Durham, Cumbria and south west Northumberland has attracted national and international recognition.

It has covered an area of 50,000 hectares as part of the North Pennines wider nature recovery and conservation work, in partnership with landowners, land managers and local contractors.

The team has brought in more than £49m in investment to improve the peatlands’ condition, through private sector finance, government funding and grant initiatives.

Restoring peat brings many benefits such as reducing the risk of flooding, filtering water, storing carbon and increasing biodiversity.

Globally peatlands cover only 3% of the Earth's surface, but store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined.

The North Pennines is home to the largest area of adjoining blanket bog peatland in England.