Perthshire could be in line for a slice of an £8 million pot to restore Scotland’s peatlands.
The cash boost was announced by cabinet secretary for environment, climate change and land reform, Roseanna Cunningham and has been welcomed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
The money will be invested in the Peatland Action initiative, which was founded in 2012.
Around a fifth of Scotland is made up of peatland and it provides and important habitat for wildlife, as well as playing an important role in carbon capture and storage and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
However, damaged peatlands can release their carbon into the atmosphere.
Work exploring how we cope with the changes brought about by climate change, while limiting further change, is a top priority for SNH.
It will continue working with its Peatland Action partners to restore a further 8,000 hectares of this vital habitat, to add to over 10,000 hectares of peatland already restored under the scheme.
Perthshire sites previously restored include ones near Aberfeldy, Dunkeld, Loch Tay and Muthill.
Peatland restoration involves blocking miles and miles of ditches, as well as other measures, to reduce the rapid runoff of water from the bare peat surfaces.
Andrew McBride, Peatland Action manager, said: ‘This is excellent news for our peatlands, wildlife, tourism and rural jobs. The additional investment next year will allow us to almost double the amount of peatland restored, and also widen the scope of the project to ensure people are more aware and involved in the care of this valuable natural resource.
“Peatland Action has worked closely with a wide range of land managers and communities. From this working relationship we have seen the importance of healthy peatlands, not only to wildlife, but also many industries including tourism, fisheries and the water industry. We look forward to continuing work with existing partners, and also meeting new faces interested in restoring our degraded peatlands.”
The Peatland Action Project recently fought off competition from around the UK to pick up the prestigious Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) Best Practice Award for Large Scale Practical Conservation.
In the next few weeks Peatland Action will announce a call for applications to the fund. Anyone wishing to discuss a potential project or wanting more information can contact SNH at peatlandaction@snh.gov.uk.