Peatlands are among the most important natural climate solutions in the world because peatland soils (i.e., histosols) store vast amounts of carbon accumulated over millennia, while also supporting biodiversity, improving water quality, and reducing flood risk. Peatland soils are also abundant in several areas of the state, including within Wisconsin’s portion of the Lake Michigan Basin.
With this in mind, we are pleased to announce a new project to establish a Peatlands Conservation Partnership in the Lake Michigan Basin. The project is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA), The Nature Conservancy Wisconsin, and The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew) and was made possible with the generous support of grants from the Daybreak Fund and Pew.
Goals and expected outcomes for the first year (Phase 1) of this new initiative include:
- Increase awareness of peatlands as a critical climate and water quality solution;
- Establish a cross-sector partnership with state agencies, local governments, Tribal Nations, NGOs, and researchers;
- Use newly available data on peatland extent and condition to identify high-opportunity areas for peatland conservation and restoration across the LMB;
- Secure funding for subsequent phases of work.
In subsequent phases, we plan to co-develop preliminary restoration roadmaps with local partners in two demonstration watersheds and help them secure funding to protect and rewet peatlands to solve problems. As with all of WWA’s community-based work, the project will also be structured to help us expand statewide investments and policy support for wetlands conservation and enable replication beyond the original project area.
The newest member of our staff, Peatlands Project Manager Dominc Uhelski!
The project and associated partnership(s) will be supported by the addition of a dedicated Peatlands Project Manager to our staff. Following a national search, we are pleased to welcome Dominic Uhelski in this role.
We first met Dominic when he presented on behalf of PeatRestore at the 2026 Wetland Science Conference. Dominic holds a Doctorate from Michigan Technological University, and a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State and comes to us with thirteen years’ experience in natural resources management. This includes eight years honing specialized knowledge in peatland soils and ecology and wetlands conservation.
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