Wildfires endanger Minnesota’s peatlands – but we can protect them
Published on June 11, 2025 at 10:17am EDT | Author: frazeevergas
0To the Editor,
With embers from Minnesota’s wildfires still smoldering and Canadian smoke darkening our skies, it’s worth remembering that fires burn more than trees—they consume peatlands, a living foundation beneath our forests that has protected us for centuries. Once lost, these carbon-rich wetlands cannot be replaced.
Peatlands are waterlogged wetlands filled with thousands of years of accumulated peat moss. Amazingly, they store 40 percent of the state’s terrestrial carbon, prevent floods and droughts, filter drinking water, and sustain vulnerable wildlife. But when they burn, their benefits vanish—and the carbon they release rivals the state’s largest polluters.
I’m proud to call the Arrowhead region my home, and over the years, I’ve seen how peatlands anchor this truly special part of our state. Minnesota is second only to Alaska in peatland acreage, with over six million acres supporting rare orchids, butterflies and songbirds. Globally, peatlands cover just three percent of Earth’s land but store 30 percent of its land-based carbon—double the carbon stored in all the world’s forests combined!
Yet peatlands face growing threats, from historic drainage to modern disruptions like severe drought, mining, and logging. We must be smart about land management—protecting healthy peatlands and restoring degraded ones.
Given their outsized importance, peatlands deserve greater prioritization. A few solutions: policies that help northern counties access state restoration funds, updating the Wetland Conservation Act rules to account for existing peatland carbon stores and not just their potential for future carbon storage, and designating ecosystem service benefits for peatlands on state managed land to maximize their long-term value.
By acting now, Minnesota can safeguard its natural heritage while reducing catastrophic wildfire risks. Peatlands are our frontline defense—buffering floods, mitigating droughts, and shielding communities from deadly fires. If we delay, these critical ecosystems could vanish in smoke, taking their protections with them.
LeeAnn Geshick,
Ely, Minn.