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The uses of peatlands and peat extracted from them are <br />related to the chemical and physical characteristics of the peat. <br />In situ uses include conversion to cropland and pastureland <br />(requires some drainage), and recently as treatment systems for <br />acid mine drainage and partially treated sewage effluent (Holm <br />1986; Reddy and Smith 1987; Richardson and Marshall 1986). In <br />many areas conversion to agriculture is the primary use. <br />Extraction of peat, although probably not affecting as many acres <br />as conversion to agriculture, is much more common than is use as <br />a treatment system. Extracted peat is used as a general soil <br />amendment and horticultural medium by greenhouses, nurseries, <br />landscapers, and home gardeners. In Colorado, this is the sole <br />use for excavated peat. <br />Extracted peat is also commonly used for energy production <br />in northern European countries and has been considered for that <br />use in this country as well. There is a great deal of literature <br />available on the use of peat for energy production. Peat is <br />indexed as a specific category in the keyword index of the <br />Government Reports Annual Index. Twenty -five to fifty <br />publications on the energy uses of peat are published each year. <br />The post excavation utility of an excavated peatland is <br />dependant upon the type and success of any reclamation efforts. <br />Most reclamation plans, when they exist, call for either <br />replacement of the wetland area with open water (either behind a <br />dam or in the natural impoundment) or reseeding with a commercial <br />seed mix as recommended by the Soil Conservation Service (SCS). <br />8 <br />