A presentation from the English Upland Peatland Network held on 13 and 14 November 2012. Describes the work we have been doing on Exmoor to develop a PES (payments for ecosystem services) scheme with local farmers to rewet peat for water storage and carbon.

1. 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 Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

2. Wimbleball Resr &
Context: Exmoor example R Haddeo
R Exe
Exmoor
R Barle
Replenishment
Exebridge Pumping
Pumping Approx 5 miles,
Station lifting water from
120 to 240 m
AOD
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

3. Peatland on Exmoor
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

4. Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

5. Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

6. Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

7. Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

8. Economics
+ OTHER ESS
CARBON
PAYMENTS???
Future
Profit for reinvestment
Storage/Abstraction
or distribution
Costs
Savings for water
Treatment Costs
buyers
Incentive payments to
Pumping Costs landowners –
managers - occupiers
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

9. Benefits must be owned by the Is it irreversible? Conflict of interest between RPA
Opportunity for existing scheme and Mire project - when spot check
landowner
Health of livestock - fluke on acreage for payment resulted in
Source of revenue for landowner Livestock safety stating that they would not pay for
Need for trust fund to remedy any It might not work, restoration might area affected by mire work
problems, eg solar deals with trust not work Opportunity costs for other activities
fund set up to remove kit Land not suitable for grazing,
If is not owned by the landowner
destock land
Cheaper water bills for SWW who owns the land and project?
customers Contravening Single Farm Payments Damage to grazing reversing 2,000
years of ag progress
Environmental benefits Collateral damage No rewards for joining the project
Jobs PIF [Permanently Ineligible Features SWW overriding everything
HLS for SFP] No allowance for inflation
Increased carbon Is there any way of making up the
Water retention, less flash flooding Increased silt peat into river reduction?
downstream Devaluation of agri land
More wildlife RPA Problems
Putting land that was drained back Health and safety problems
Future funding for restoration of
to its natural state
damage
Financial - tradeable commodity, What are the potential impacts
income for managing land naturally downstream?
Ecosystem service [? ..airs?] HLS Capital Works money being used
None for mire rather than hedge work
which directly benefits local
communities
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

10. Summary of concerns, Concerns Benefits Questions Totals
benefits, questions
Revenue/cost 6 3 2 11
Asset Value 4 2 0 6
Legal/ownership 1 1 3 5
Agricultural productivity 2 0 0 2
External liabilities 3 1 0 4
Animal welfare 2 0 0 2
H&S 1 0 0 1
Environmental 4 5 1 10
Wider economic 3 2 0 5
Scheme relationships 6 1 1 8
Confidence 8 1 2 11
Totals 40 16 9 65
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

11. Top Three Concerns
• Confidence
• Revenue/Cost
• Scheme Relationships
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

12. Top Three Positives
• Environmental
• Revenue
• Asset Value and wider economic aspects
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

13. Top Three Questions
• Legal/ownership concerns
• Revenue and cost
• Confidence
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

14. Questions?
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV

15. Contact Details
Translating new knowledge for rural professional practice
 cdcowap@gmail.com
 07947 706505
Twitter: @charlescowap
Blog: http://charlescowap.wordpress.com/
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/cdcowap
Charles Cowap
MBA MRICS FAAV