North Carolina Peatlands Undergo Restoration to Combat Climate Change and Preserve Biodiversity
In North Carolina's Inner Banks, a significant effort is underway to restore 23 square miles of critical peatland. Decades of drainage for abandoned farming ventures have left the peatlands vulnerable to drought and wildfires, altering native habitats and releasing 130,000 tons of climate-warming carbon dioxide annually. Pantheon Regeneration, a Colorado-based company, is leading this restoration project, aiming to reverse the damage by blocking ditches to control the water table, culling invasive species, and replanting native flora. This initiative is modeled after successful projects by nonprofits and government agencies, including the adjacent Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest peatland restoration efforts in the U.S. Pantheon plans to fund future land purchases and restoration efforts by selling carbon credits to corporations seeking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal to restore and preserve a million acres of peatland from Virginia to northern Florida over t...
