July 2024 - A7

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT
of
PEAT
We discussed this topic with Frédéric
Caron, Natural Resource Management
Director at Premier Tech, who has worked
with the company for nearly 30 years
and Pierre-Olivier Jean, Premier Tech's
Natural Resource Manager with 9 years
of experience in peat management.
Partnership is Key
Since the early 1990s, Premier
Tech has been committed to
developing best practices in resource
management in a transparent
and accountable manner, actively
mobilizing the industry in this regard
with future generations in mind.
" Partnering with environmental
organizations provides valuable
perspectives " Caron said. " We
collaborate with industry partners,
government entities, universities and
local communities, which is really
important to Premier Tech. "
Peat Harvesting
Team member
holding
peat moss
in his hands.
Source:
Premier Tech.
Best Management Practices With Premier Tech
Management of peatlands is an
increasingly important topic, especially
due to the recognition of their crucial
role in climate regulation and biodiversity
conservation. With harvesting sites in
6 Canadian provinces and 1 State, how
does Premier Tech make a difference?
Premier Tech uses vacuum harvesting
for its operations. This method uses
large vacuum harvesters that collect
peat from the bog surface. " This
method is especially effective for
harvesting sphagnum peat moss and
other top layers of peat bogs, allowing
for continuous extraction without
significant damage to deeper peat
layers, " Jean said.
Certifications and Regulations
According to Jean, " our products are
certified under Veriflora: Responsibly
Managed Peatlands certification. This
certification is part of SCS Global
Sustainably Grown framework, which
is consistently ranked among the
highest standards in independent
surveys and is aligned with leading
US and European initiatives. The
certification ensures that our
operations maintain and continuously
improve the highest standards with
respect to environmental, social and
quality criteria. "
Going Further
Premier Tech implements several
measures to protect biodiversity
in areas where it operates.
" In every new peat operation, we
leave a portion of the peatland
undeveloped to serve as a restoration
According to Caron, the harvesting
process within peat management is
crucial. " Operators must strike the
right balance in maintaining water
levels to optimize equipment use
and maintain overall peat quality. "
material reserve, " Jean said.
" This area boasts similar levels of
biodiversity than the harvested
area. Once the peat deposit is
depleted, the plant community will
be reintroduced from the preserved
zone to recreate a functioning
ecosystem with the original species.
With peatland restoration, within 15
years, the biodiversity and carbon
accumulating function are back. "
" For the last five to ten years, we
have been working on continuous
improvement to enhance our harvest
and deepen our understanding of our
environmental footprint, " Caron said.
" We also work on life-cycle analysis
to make sure we understand the
full impact. "
Minimizing Environmental Impact
Restored
peat bog in
Rivière-duLoup.
Source:
Premier Tech.
" An indirect impact of restoration
is the understanding of the
environmental impact of the
harvesting process, " Caron said. " We
learned how to improve the drainage
design to minimize the impact and
restore peatlands faster. Another
example is the progressive opening
and restoration: we open a peatland
one section at a time. Moving donor
material from the section we open to
the one we close, reducing the local
impact by restoring with material
from the same peatland. "
What's Next
Premier Tech is currently testing a
new technology to manage certain
peatland types. The company
hopes that by avoiding damage to
the hydrology and the living moss
layer, it can minimize environmental
impact from the land while adding
value to the resource. According
to Line Rochefort, Professor at
Laval University who is evaluating
the environmental impact of this
technology and its effectiveness, this
innovation appears to be promising.
Premier Tech InFocus | A7
July 2024

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