A HUGE cash injection will help sustain some of Snowdonia’s most vital wetlands and provide jobs in the region.

Thanks to a contribution worth a whopping £1million from the Welsh Government, some of Wales’ most important peatlands will be protected, maintained and improved.

Wales has over 70,000 hectares of peatland and most of these are blanket bogs in the uplands.

Following this new financial support, some of Wales’ peatlands will be able to be sustainably managed which will bring many benefits to the country’s ecosystems.

Important carbon will be stored, it will provide opportunities to alleviate flood risk, it will provide clean drinking water and provide natural habitats for valuable biodiversity.

Although only three per cent of the world’s area is a peatland, it holds 30 per cent of the world’s carbon.

The Mawndiroedd Cymru (Wales’ Peatlands) scheme is a joint venture between the Snowdonia National Park Authority, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, Natural Resources Wales and the National Trust, but will also be working with other organisations.

It will run until the end of August 2020 and will employ a project manager based in Snowdonia and two project officers – one will be based in Snowdonia and the other in the Brecon Beacons.

On behalf of the partnership, Rhys Owen, head of agriculture and conservation at Snowdonia National Park Authority said: “We are extremely grateful to the Welsh Government for its generosity in contributing towards a scheme which will help to ensure a prosperous future for Welsh peatlands.

“Peat restoration is beneficial to all elements of today’s society as it reduces carbon emissions, improves water quality and improves river management.

“In addition, it will assist land managers in improving grazing opportunities, it will retain the distinctiveness of our historic landscapes and preserve prehistoric features.

“Our intention is to establish a hub or an electronic platform that will be the focus point for all data and research relating to Welsh peatlands, provide an accreditation scheme when delivering training to land managers to improve and restore peatlands, then provide packages or bundles of different areas with the intention of attracting a new market to invest in the peatlands through the Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme, The Peatland Code.”