Peatlands are the largest natural terrestrial carbon storage ecosystem

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) awarded a $750,000 Cooperative Agreement under the National Wildlife Refuge System Enhancements program (CFDA 15.654) to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for peatland restoration in the Beltrami Island Land Utilization Project area in Minnesota. The project aims to restore the natural hydrology of 3-5 peatland sites on National Wildlife Refuge System lands, in order to reduce climate change impacts, improve water quality, and provide biodiversity benefits. TNC will procure engineering, landscape architecture, and environmental consulting services to conduct site planning, hydrologic assessment, and design engineering for the peatland restoration efforts. Additionally, TNC will provide project management, technical guidance development, and support for baseline monitoring and evaluation of the restoration benefits. The award period is from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2029.

However drained and degraded peatlands currently represent a major source of climate warming greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. At nearly one million acres the minnesota beltrami island land utilization project area includes much of the nations largest and most contiguous peatlands the red lake peatlands AKA the everglades of the north as well as forming the headwaters of six major watersheds in minnesota. Climate projections and trends suggest the area will continue to experience warmer temperatures as well as greater extremes of precipitation. In dry periods exposed peat layers become vulnerable to oxidation and begin releasing carbon to the atmosphere a process which was accelerated when ditches were constructed historically to drain the peatlands for other uses. In wet periods peatland ditches become a conduit for runoff and contribute significant channelized flow to downstream areas potentially worsening flood damage during extreme runoff events. With this project ditch abandonment and installation of plugs water control structures or other restoration actions will restore the waterlogged conditions of this open peatland restoring natural peatland hydrology for reducing the impacts of climate change improving water quality and ecosystem function and provide myriad related benefits for biodiversity and local communities. The nature conservancy will work cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and wildlife service within the beltrami island land utilization project to restore and monitor peatlands on national wildlife refuge system lands by procuring engineering landscape architecture and or environmental consulting vendors to provide necessary site planning hydrologic assessment and engineering design services for restoring three to five target peatlands in the project area. Additionally TNC will provide project management and help coordinate develop and disseminate technical guidance on peatland restoration as well as support baseline monitoring and evaluation of restoration benefits for climate and biodiversity. The mission of TNC is to conserve the lands and water on which all life depends. The nature conservancy has demonstrated prior success on several large scale projects and partnerships with the service.