LIGHTNING ROUND PRESENTER CO-AUTHOR: Sylvia Troost (The Pew Charitable Trusts) TITLE: Mapping US peatlands: A new tool to conserve and restore carbon sinks ABSTRACT: The Pew Charitable Trusts, in collaboration with the US Forest Service (USFS), Greifswald Mire Centre, and Michigan Tech Research Institute, is developing the first national peatlands map for the United States. The map, expected in June 2026, will display current and historic extent of peatlands, with an emphasis on the continental US, but with additional data for Hawaii, Alaska, and U.S. territories, where available. The map will be used to identify intact areas where further protection is needed for these irrecoverable carbon sinks, as well as restoration opportunities for degraded peatlands that could reduce carbon pollution and restore other ecosystem services like flood mitigation. By refining existing USFS mapping efforts with data from under-represented peatlands (forested, coastal, and floodplain) and incorporating new advancements in remote sensing, we aim to improve the accuracy and utility of a national peatlands map for protecting and restoring these carbon sinks in the US. BIO: Alex Moya advances coastal blue carbon and peatland conservation in state climate policies for The Pew Charitable Trusts’ US conservation project. Before Pew, Moya worked on nonpoint source pollution and Columbia River salmon issues for the US EPA and served in the Peace Corps in Nepal. Moya holds master's degrees in public policy and natural resources and environment from the University of Michigan.