Drain blocking and wetlands management are two of the actions that will be carried out at Bord na Móna bogs over the coming years in the midlands.
The scheme will cover an area of approximately 33,000ha of Bord Na Móna peatlands previously harvested for peat extraction for electricity generation.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has been appointed regulator for the scheme and will assess, on a bog-by-bog basis, what actions are to be carried out for climate, environmental, ecological and hydrological impacts.
The ICMSA has said that Bord na Móna will have to "provide clear assurances" that privately owned farmland adjacent to the Bord na Móna sites will not be flooded or waterlogged as part of the projected rewetting.
What are the actions?
The Department has outlined that the following measures are to be carried out:
Under the scheme, Bord Na Móna will submit a rehabilitation plan to NPWS for each bog to be rehabilitated.
During the preparation of the individual rehabilitation plans for each of the identified 82 bogs covered by the scheme, Bord na Móna will actively engage with a broad range of stakeholders.
What bogs are included in the scheme?
The following bogs will be included in the scheme:
The scheme is expected to deliver a range of climate action benefits, from greenhouse gas mitigation through reduced carbon emissions, carbon storage and accelerated carbon sequestration.
It is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and is estimated to result in sequestering greenhouse gas emissions of 3.2m tonnes of carbon out to 2050, with continued savings beyond that point.