A north politician has welcomed an increase in funding for peatland restoration from the Scottish Government.
Last year the Scottish Rural Development Programme budget for peatland restoration was £2million and the draft budget for 2017/18 ha risen to £10million.
The increase was confirmed at the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee following a question from Caithness, Sutherland and Ross SNP MSP Gail Ross to cabinet secretary Fergus Ewing.
After the meeting Ms Ross said the rise in funding was “great news”, adding: “In Caithness and North Sutherland we have the largest blanket bog in the northern hemisphere. It has been likened to the Amazon rainforest given the amount of carbon that is locked away in it. So to hear that more money is being made available to places like the Flow Country so that more carbon can be locked away is heartening and testament to the role that they play.
“This was an issue that my predecessor Rob Gibson championed vociferously. His tireless advocacy on this issue has literally paid off. I look forward to the meaningful and positive impact this will make on decarbonising the atmosphere in Scotland, which will also have a positive impact globally.”
Ms Ross also paid tribute to the Environmental Institute in Thurso for their excellent work on highlighting the tole of the Flow Country and peatbogs in climate change mitigation.
