Stimulating investment in Carbon, Water and Biodiversity from peatland restoration

transcript

Charles CowapMBA MRICS FAAV

Applying PES in practice

Stimulating investment in C, H2O and Biodiversity benefits from peatland restorationEcosystems Knowledge Network

Bristol

22 May 2013

Charles Cowap, Chartered Surveyor Knowledge for Rural Professional Practice, and Harper Adams University

Dr David Smith, Mires in the Moors and Upstream Thinking, South West Water

Charles CowapMBA MRICS FAAVCharles CowapMBA MRICS FAAV

Learning points from this seminar

1. Legal and practical issues with land ownership and management for the implementation of PES

2. Building the business case for land managers

3. Key considerations and concerns for landowners, farmers and their professional advisers

Peat’s Story

Distribution of upland peatlands in the South West of England

The mires on Exmoor

Drainage for agricultural improvement

Domestic and commercial peat cutting for fuel

Cutting carried on until the end of the c20th

Exmoor peatlands have become largely dry and dominated by Molinia (sedge grass) as a result

Exmoor Mires Project

• Initiated in 1998 by ENPA, EA and NE. First restoration work at Exe-head in 2001-4 aimed to benefit the River Exe.

• New Partnership for 2006-9 project with SWW - Wildlife restoration was the main funding aim of the partners.

• 2010-15 SWW customers funded project for water supply, quality and wildlife.

What has the project achieved?

• The blocking of 85km of ditches and the re-wetting of 735ha of mire at 22 sites

Where?- the pink bits, the brown bits are possible future sites

How is restoration done?• Peat blocks, sometimes with wood and bales

Peat and wooden blocks 6 weeks after restoration

What other equipment is used?

• Tracked dumper for logistics• Tractor with big tyres for cutting and bales

What is the end result• Most sites get a bit wetter and a some have got a lot wetter in

places

Ditch blocks on a typical site with lots of small ditches

Ditch blocks on big ditches = Pools

Current Exmoor Project 2010- 15

• £2m budget for Exmoor• 2,000ha target restoration area • 3,400ha of peatland has now been surveyed, the ditches/peat-

cuttings measured and GPS mapped and the restoration potential assessed.

• 340 ha has been restored so far.• Another 300ha planned for this August

Proof of Concept monitoring

Plant monitoring has found an increase in Sphagnum species and less Molinia

Other Wildlife monitoring (Birds, dragonflies, amphibians, reptiles, etc)

Dragonflies example is typical of increases;

Black Darter- (rare on Exmoor as it needs bog pools) Blackpitts now has possibly the largest population in Somerset (100’s seen in 2011)

Common Hawker-(rare in southern England) x10 seen at Blackpitts and x2 at Squallacombe in 2012

Agricultural Impact of Mire restoration monitoring

• base line survey started in 2012 by WRT, • post-restoration surveys in subsequent years.

• Monitoring Equipment per site:

54 dipwells, 18 temperature loggers, 60 capacitance probes, 30 mini conductivity loggers, 3 seepage meters.

Hydrological Monitoring:Water storage and quality changes

Monitoring GHG flux and storage

Ground Collars

Fan to mix chamber air

Temperature and relative humidity logger

Internal balloon (to dampen pressure changes)

Sample Outlet

Vent Tube

Lid & chamber

Chamber, lid and collar are sealed using a water-filled groove

Why Monitor?

• Need to prove to the Water Regulator that peatland restoration achieves its aims of improving water supply and quality.

• The outcome information is also needed for the set-up of a revenue payment for Mire restoration.

Context: Exmoor example

Exmoor

R Barle

Wimbleball Resr & R Haddeo

ExebridgePumping Station

Replenishment PumpingApprox 5 miles, lifting water from 120 to 240 m AODCO 2

Pumping Costs

Treatment Costs

Future Storage/Abstraction

Incentive payments to landowners –

managers - occupiers

Savings for water buyers

Profit for reinvestment or distribution

CARBON

Economics+ OTHER ESS

PAYMENTS???

Top Three Concerns

• Confidence

• Revenue/Cost

• Scheme Relationships

Top Three Positives

• Environmental

• Revenue

• Asset Value and wider economic aspects

Top Three Questions

• Legal/ownership concerns

• Revenue and cost

• Confidence

Questions for consideration

• Contractual aspects• Land tenure• Effects on other

interested parties• Practical farming

considerations• Animal welfare and

health• Public liability

• Relationship other schemes

• Other business considerations

• Maintenance obligations

• Tax• Impact on value• Security/risk

Decision Criteria and guidance

Site suitability• Peatland known mapped

damage• Detailed survey & mapping• Damage restorable?• Farming impact?• Drainage/wetness

implications for surrounding land

Land manager• All interests• New management

requirement?• Impact on other

opportunities (+/-)• Financial

Financial evaluationExtra costs, eg• Access time to more difficult

ground• Vet and med bills• Insurance• Feed• Machinery costs (if

contracting to be offered)

Costs saved• Eg some livestock purchases

Lost Revenue• Eg some livestock LWG or

Extra Revenue eg• PES income• Contracting opportunities for

+ Balance: financially worthwhile• Consider capital and tax

implications

Balance positive: not financially worthwhile

Key Questions for PES developers

• Working with the positives

• Addressing the negatives

• Market infrastructure– Eg willing buyer– Trading terms

• Eg Peatland Carbon Code

• Contractual infrastructure– Eg Law Commission

Conservation Covenant Review

So to conclude:

• Legal and practical issues

• Building the business case

• Key considerations and concerns for landowners, farmers and their professional advisers

Discussion and introduction of case study

Red Earth Farm is a mixed tenure farm of total 500 hectares. Of this 400 ha is rented under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, and the remainder is owned (but subject to a mortgage with the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation). The main farmhouse and two workers’ cottages are located on the rented land along with the farm buildings. The owned land consists exclusively of bare land with no dwellings or buildings. The land abuts the west bank of the River Severn to the north of Tewkesbury (both the tenanted and owned land).

Pollination Raw materials

Medicine

Biodiversity Local climate and air quality

Carbon

Mitigate extreme events

Soil quality and stability

Disease Health

Waste treatment

Contact Details

Charles Cowap

Translating new knowledge for rural professional practice

cdcowap@gmail.com

07947 706505

Twitter: @charlescowap

Blog: http://charlescowap.wordpress.com/

Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/cdcowap

Dr David Smith

South West Water

Mires Project Manager

dmsmith@southwestwater.co.uk

056 0118 1600

http://www.exmoormires.org.uk/

http://www.southwestwater.co.uk

Stimulating investment in Carbon, Water and Biodiversity from peatland restoration

Technology