 Environmental & Restoration Policy
Facts about Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and the Environment
Peat Moss is Abundant
Peat Moss is accumulating more than 50 times faster than it is being harvested.
Sun Gro uses careful harvesting techniques so that restoration can be readily achieved. We leave at least three feet of peat for natural succession.
We accurately identify and harvest only bogs that can be restored to functioning wetlands, new wildlife habitat or farmland.
Environmentally Sustainable
There are more than 260 million acres of peatlands in Canada (25% of the world's supply.)
The peat industry harvests on less than 40,000 acres or one acre in 6000
There are less than 5,000 post-harvest acres in Canada
Good for the Environment
Peat Moss is used to improve poor soils to make them more productive. In so doing, this once living vegetation actually promotes plant growth in landscapes and gardens. These "greenscapes" in turn cool the environment, filter the air, and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
 Partially restored peat bog
Sun Gro's Preservation and Restoration Policy
Statement
Peat is a sustainable resource derived from a precise set of environmental conditions and a unique set of plants found only under these conditions in Peatlands. Sun Gro Horticulture will attempt, throughout the development and harvest stages, to manage the environmental conditions in order to restore this ecosystem to a functioning environmental unit. To achieve this goal, we will cooperate with all recognized conservation bodies.
Implementation
- Undertake studies prior to opening new bogs to ascertain the flora and fauna of virgin peatlands.
- Leave undisturbed areas of greatest interest so flora/fauna can recolonize after harvesting and cooperate with recognized conservation bodies in management of areas of environmental interest.
- Determine the effect of drainage on the surrounding ecosystem.
- Plan bog drainage systems being mindful that restoration or reclamation procedures may require damming up and leveling of ditches to restore the water table.
- Design drainage systems to control the discharge of suspended solids. Monitor water quality on a regular basis.
- Prevent drainage/land clearing too far ahead of harvest commencing and leave a layer of bog peat behind when harvesting.
- Specify after - use as part of any lease agreement to ensure that the letter and the spirit of this Preservation and Restoration Policy is fulfilled. This Goal will be obtained by:
- Developing restoration procedures to assist the harvested area to return to a functioning peatland.
- Developing a plan that would permit the area to be used for farming, planting trees for reforestation or by conservation groups to develop new wildlife habitat such as water holes for ducks and other wildlife.
Canada Leads the World
SUN GRO, working with government and the industry, is looking for ways to accelerate peat bog regeneration. New research in bog restoration indicates that time can be shortened to five years from thirty years.
Industry and government have spent over $2 million on restoration research; such as the work being conducted by the Peatland Ecology Research Group.
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