peat rewetting in exmoor

Charles CowapMBA MRICS FAAV

Peatland Payments for Ecosystem Services in the South West

Water and Carbon on Exmoor

English Upland Peatland Network Conference

Exeter

13 November 2012

Charles Cowap

Chartered Surveyor

Charles CowapMBA MRICS FAAVCharles CowapMBA MRICS FAAV

Context: Exmoor example

Exmoor

R Barle

R Exe

Wimbleball Resr & R Haddeo

ExebridgePumping Station

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


Peatland on Exmoor


Pumping Costs

Treatment Costs

Future Storage/Abstraction

Costs

Incentive payments to landowners –

managers - occupiers

Savings for water buyers

Profit for reinvestment or distribution

CARBON

Economics+ OTHER ESS

PAYMENTS???


Benefits must be owned by the landownerSource of revenue for landownerNeed for trust fund to remedy any problems, eg solar deals with trust fund set up to remove kitCheaper water bills for SWW customersEnvironmental benefitsJobsHLSWater retention, less flash flooding downstreamMore wildlifePutting land that was drained back to its natural stateFinancial - tradeable commodity, income for managing land naturallyEcosystem service [? ..airs?]None

Is it irreversible?Opportunity for existing schemeHealth of livestock - flukeLivestock safetyIt might not work, restoration might not workLand not suitable for grazing, destock land

Contravening Single Farm Payments

Collateral damagePIF [Permanently Ineligible Features for SFP]Increased carbonIncreased silt peat into riverDevaluation of agri landRPA ProblemsHealth and safety problemsFuture funding for restoration of damageWhat are the potential impacts downstream?HLS Capital Works money being used for mire rather than hedge work which directly benefits local communities

Conflict of interest between RPA and Mire project - when spot check on acreage for payment resulted in stating that they would not pay for area affected by mire work

Opportunity costs for other activities

If is not owned by the landowner who owns the land and project?Damage to grazing reversing 2,000 years of ag progressNo rewards for joining the projectSWW overriding everythingNo allowance for inflationIs there any way of making up the reduction?


Summary of concerns, benefits, questions

Concerns Benefits Questions Totals

Revenue/cost 6 3 2 11Asset Value 4 2 0 6Legal/ownership 1 1 3 5Agricultural productivity 2 0 0 2External liabilities 3 1 0 4Animal welfare 2 0 0 2H&S 1 0 0 1Environmental 4 5 1 10Wider economic 3 2 0 5Scheme relationships 6 1 1 8Confidence 8 1 2 11Totals 40 16 9 65


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?


Contact Details

Translating new knowledge for rural professional practice

[email protected]

07947 706505

Twitter: @charlescowap

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

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peat rewetting in exmoor

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