ORAL PRESENTATION CO-AUTHORS: Dominic Uhelski, Rod Chimner (Michigan Technological University); Erik Lilleskov (US Forest Service) TITLE: PeatRestore: Providing knowledge and tools needed to make informed decisions about peatland restoration ABSTRACT: Peatland conservation and restoration are globally important goals because of peatlands’ potential to sequester and store carbon for millennia, provide habitat for plants and wildlife, regulate hydrology, and emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) when degraded. The PeatRestore network seeks to provide the knowledge and resources needed to manage peatland ecosystems sustainably. Our work includes developing map resources, restoration guides, and decision support/planning tools for managers and policymakers. We will present our recently developed peatland condition map for the conterminous US and Hawaii, which is intended to provide information that can be used to identify possible targets for restoration. Of the 94,750 km2 of histosols and 13,533 km2 of histic epipedons (HE) analyzed, 7% (7709 km2) were under agricultural use. Based on IPCC tier 1 emission factors, the greatest potential reduction for CO2-e emissions is achievable by rewetting peatlands under agriculture. Wisconsin is in the top five states ranked by peatland area and by emissions from agriculture on peatlands. We will also present briefly on the tradeoffs and co-benefits of inundation, topsoil removal, and slow rewetting restoration strategies tailored to address restoration of post-agricultural peatlands. In summary, we will review our peatland condition map, the need for peatland restoration in Wisconsin, and the strategies that might be employed. We are also holding a working group on Wednesday afternoon that will address the needs and opportunities for peatland restoration in Wisconsin specifically. You are invited to join us! BIO: Dominic Uhelski is an applied wetland ecologist who uses biogeochemistry to understand how ecosystem properties and restoration design drive carbon and nutrient cycles, which in turn shape successional trajectories and restoration outcomes. His favorite scientific topics include restoration design, greenhouse gas flux, water quality impacts, and disturbance ecology, particularly fire.