BUREAU OF GEOLOGY


 Peatland Reclamation in New Brunswick

 New Brunswick's peat resources are estimated to be in excess of
247,000 acres. Approximately 80 percent of New Brunswick's
peatlands are owned by the province which classes peat as a quarriable
substance (Keys, 1980).
 Peats are extracted for horticultural purposes and producers hold peat
leases and pay acreage rentals and royalties on production. The horticul-
tural producers use a vacuum method of milled peat production. This
peat is in turn used as baled Sphagnum peat, soil mixes, artificially dried
and compacted peat and compressed peat pots (Keys, 1980). Addition-
ally, a small amount of peat is used as fuel to heat a greenhouse.
 Nonextractive uses for New Brunswick peatlands include protection of
peats within Kouchibouquac National Park, use as wildlife management
areas and artificially developed waterfowl nesting areas. Management
objectives for future use of the peat resource include: 1) consideration of
the needs of existing industry, 2) conservation areas, 3) optimum use of
various qualities of peat, and 4) long-term versus short-term economic
development (Keys, 1980).
 An idealized case for management of New Brunswick's peatlands
would be such that surface layers of peat could be removed for horticul-
tural use exposing underlying fuel peats. On removal of the fuel peats,
the basal unminable layer (20 inches thick with high ash content and
rocks and other irregularities), with a suitably designed drainage system,
could allow utilization of the depleted peatland for agriculture and affor-
estation (Keys, 1980).
 Selective use of New Brunswick's peat resources are encouraged. The
need for conservation areas is acknowledged. Reclamation is viewed as
an integral step in the exploitation of peatlands. A summary of the leas-
ing procedure applied to peatlands of New Brunswick is presented in
Appendix E of this document.

 Reclamation in Peatlands of Florida

 In Minnesota, North Carolina, Finland and New Brunswick ongoing
research is aimed at devising reclamation techniques which are workable
for specific regions. For instance, North Carolina cannot assume that
reclamation methods suitable to Minnesota may be successfully applied
to the soil conditions and climate of North Carolina. Minnesota (Asmus-
sen, 1980) has appointed a panel of peatland ecologists to identify
peatlands with preservation value. The Peat Mining Task Force of North
Carolina notes that some areas in peatlands should be left entirely in their
natural state (North Carolina DNRCD, 1983). It is recommended that
those areas be identified as quickly as possible and a program for their
preservation be instituted.
 If Florida determines to allow mining of its peatlands, a number of
factors will require research so that successful reclamation programs