Peat project moves toward development

“It means it’s going in a positive direction and it’s going to happen,” said Hanson of the project, which has been in the works for about a decade.

All Seasons Contracting, Blackduck, is expected to deforest a portion of the site beginning this week, according to Hanson. Deforestation of the area is expected to take about two or three weeks, according to notes from the contractor to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Lands and Minerals and copied to Hanson.

The company is expected to begin Feb. 20 to excavate one of the sediment ponds and the perimeter ditch for the initial harvest area, which will take four to five weeks to complete, according to the contractor.

“There’s a good chance that harvest will begin next year, but we’re not sure,” said Hanson.

The project is a cooperative effort between Berger Horticultural Products of Quebec, Koochiching County, and the University of Minnesota, Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute.

Berger officials could not be reached for comment for this story.

Berger will harvest sphagnum peat for use in gardening and horticulture from the 840-acre Pine Island bog.

The development will impact only a fraction of Koochiching County’s one million-plus acres of peatlands and is expected to result in significant economic benefits for rural Koochiching County, according to NRRI.

At full production, the project could provide net benefits of $2 million annually including five full-time, year-round jobs and 40 full-time seasonal jobs. Lease fees and royalties to the state and county will average in excess of $100,000 per year, according to officials.

Production requires the use of the sun and wind to dry the surface peat layer. An uppermost layer is usually harrowed, breaking capillary flow and enhancing the drying process. After one to three days, the dry peat layer is then collected using large vacuum harvesters or other equipment. The peat is transported to a processing facility for screening and packaging.

Hanson said work at the site has been ongoing, but slow, partly because of last year’s winter conditions, which provided little ground frost but lots of snow.

A road to the site has been built, surveys have been conducted and permits obtained. Monthly measurements of ground water, as required under the permits, have been taken during the nonfrozen seasons, said Hanson. A reclamation plan has been developed for the horticultural harvest.

In addition, he said Berger has already been paying an annual state lease fee of $6,000 to $8,000.

Hanson said he’s pleased with the contractor, Raymond Weidenborner, hired for the work at the site.

“He’s worked for (Berger) before and he knows more about swamps than anybody,” Hanson said.

Hanson said delays in the project have been frustrating, but added that the global economic downturn played a role.

“They’re putting all their effort into this,” said Hanson of Berger. “We were hoping it would happen way before this, but they sell their product on an international basis so I imagine the economy has had some impact for them.”

Meanwhile, Hanson said another Canadian company is considering a site further west of Big Falls for a peat harvest operation. That company has done some survey work at the potential site and are gearing up to discuss permit needs with state and federal officials.

NRRI’s role was to facilitate the environmental review and permitting process by working with state and federal permitting agencies on behalf of Berger and Koochiching County.

According to NRRI, Minnesota has some seven million acres of valuable peatlands with about two thousand acres currently harvested and sold for horticultural purposes. Strict regulations by state and federal agencies are in place to protect peat resources.

For more information on Berger, see www.berger.ca/