Dr. Eugene Hendrick:

The best way to mitigate degraded wetlands is to rewet them. One sometimes gets an increase in greenhouse gas emissions when one starts to rewet them because there is a change from a degrading CO2 to methane being emitted, but that gradually alters. There is much good evidence that rewetting of wetlands and peatlands gives a net carbon benefit over time. The forest service has moved away from grant aiding afforestation on peatlands for a significant period. Some areas with small layers of peat are afforested but they would not be classified as peatland. There is good research evidence to show that on those soils, which can be highly productive for forestry, that gives a net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. Basically, one must look at the site type and so on.

On rewetting and the midland peatlands, a landscape level approach is taken. It is probable that a substantial portion of the cutaway is suitable for rewetting, which will deliver climate change mitigation benefits. Other parts are suitable for planting trees. One must bear in mind that some of these areas in the midlands were once forest. Some of the basal peat layers come from wood. Birch, yew and oak grew in those forests a long time ago. Those areas are suitable for growing trees. The goal is not blanket afforestation of cutaway, which would be a bad idea. A sensitive landscape approach needs to be taken, looking at afforestation, rewetting and other land uses in the context of biodiversity and climate change mitigation.