Slieve Bloom first nature project under new Coillte-NPWS collaboration

The Slieve Bloom Nature Project will be the first initiative undertaken through a new memorandum of understanding between Coillte and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

The new agreement between the NPWS and Coillte aims to have greater collaboration in the delivery of biodiversity and nature projects.

Priority actions will include the co-delivery of conservation measures through agreed site action plans, with a focus on protected habitats such as raised and blanket bog, heaths and wetlands, lakes and rivers, and for threatened species such as freshwater pearl mussel and merlin.

The Slieve Bloom Nature Project will target the conservation measures of the hen harrier.

Opportunity

Welcoming the announcement at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan said this collaboration is a huge opportunity for improving nature restoration in Ireland.

“By bringing together the national agency responsible for biodiversity and Ireland’s State forestry company - two of the largest landowners in the country - to address shared challenges and maximise shared opportunities, we are prioritising actions to restore nature and meet our obligations under the birds and habitats directives, but also deliver for the Nature Restoration Law.

“I have long been of the view that reversing biodiversity loss is not the sole responsibility of any one organisation; we need a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach.”

Framework

The new framework outlines platforms for exchange and liaison, along with agreements to collaborate on knowledge sharing, development of best practice guidelines, habitat assessment, policy and regulation and scientific research.

One of Coillte’s strategic ambitions is to increase the area of its estate managed primarily for nature from 20% to 30% by 2025 and to transform areas of its forests so that 50% of its estate is managed primarily for nature in the long term.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Senator Pippa Hackett said this memorandum is a very positive step for the enhancement of the environment.

“Given the scale of their respective land banks and expertise, as well as the impending introduction of the Nature Restoration Law, closer collaboration between these two State agencies is a really welcome move and I am excited to see the relationship between Coillte and NPWS go from strength to strength in the coming years.”

Collaborative workst

Under the memorandum, the parties have agreed to prioritise specific collaborative works in the lands owned by Coillte and NPWS in the Slieve Bloom area.

The scope of the work will include supporting the hen harrier threat response plan and other bird conservation objectives, share current survey data on the nesting and foraging locations, develop a costed operational plan and meet quarterly to monitor and review progress.