£500,000 boost to restore county's peatlands
Conservationists have received £500,000 in government funding to restore nearly swathes of ecologically crucial countryside in north Shropshire.
The work being carried out by Shropshire Wildlife Trust to the mosses around Whixall and Wem is part of a £10 million government scheme to restore important peatlands across England.
The trust will use the money, from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to restore nearly 250 acres of valuable peatlands across north Shropshire, extending across the country boundaries into Cheshire and Staffordshire.
It is one of four projects across England to receive the funding as part of a scheme to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by creating a natural store for carbon.
John Hughes, development manager at Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said the grant was a big boost to the work that is being done to restore the area.
"The mosses of Shropshire area one of the least known, but most ecologically important, suites of peatbogs," he said.
"Our partnership is delighted that this funding will allows us to carry out even more work in our mission to restore them to a favourable condition.
The money will be used to deliver commitments in the Government's 25-year environment plan to restore peatlands across England. Nationally, the grants will help restore more than 16,000 acres, equivalent to 10,613 football pitches.
Environment minister Theresa Coffey said: "Peatlands are an iconic aspect of the English landscape which are not only a haven for wildlife, but also provide us with clean water and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"The 25-year environment plan sets out the Government's commitment to improve peatlands and grant schemes such as this one will enable us to leave our environment better than we inherited it."
Other areas to benefit from the funding are the Peak District, south Pennines and Rossendale, Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor, and Yorkshire and Northumberland.
