News

Minister Noonan welcomes Memorandum of Understanding between NPWS and Coillte for greater collaboration in the delivery of biodiversity and nature projects

Date Released: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

New agreement will promote partnership, collaboration and enhanced co-operation to restore nature
Priority areas for action include threatened habitats and species
The first project – ‘Slieve Blooms Nature Project’ – will target conservation measures for the Hen Harrier

National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Coillte have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes the framework for greater partnership and collaboration for the delivery of nature conservation projects and the management of the respective estates of both organisations.

Through greater collaboration and the alignment of shared objectives for nature, NPWS and Coillte will deliver positive conservation projects aimed at protecting, enhancing and restoring important ecosystems. Priority actions will include the co-design and 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, Hen Harrier, Merlin and breeding waders.

Welcoming the MoU today at the Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD said:

“This agreement between NPWS and Coillte is a huge opportunity to restore nature at scale across 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. That is why this strategic alliance is so important and I am excited at the impact for nature that will emerge. I’m particularly pleased that the first project to be undertaken through the new MoU will be to protect the Hen Harrier in the Slieve Blooms.

“Areas of partnership and collaboration referenced in the MoU include biodiversity enhancement and restoration, forest redesign and peatland restoration, the delivery of actions to assist in the achievement of Site Specific Conservation Objectives, support for operational forest management, research and information data sharing, and funding and resourcing. Platforms for professional exchange and liaison are also outlined, along with agreements to collaborate closely on knowledge-sharing, development of best practice guidelines, habitat assessment, policy and regulation, and scientific research.”

Welcoming the announcement, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett said:

“I believe the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding between Coillte and NPWS will ultimately prove to be a very positive step for the enhancement of our natural 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.”

Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General of NPWS said:

“Coillte is one of the largest landowners in the State and is already undertaking progressive projects and providing strategic leadership for nature across its landholdings. NPWS is delighted to enter this Memorandum of Understanding with the company, as it is a portal to significant future projects and cooperation for nature and, in particular, in relation to Hen Harrier conservation, peatlands’ restoration and wetlands initiatives.”

Imelda Hurley, CEO Coillte said:

“Coillte is delighted to significantly deepen its collaboration with NPWS through this MoU. The objective of this MoU aligns perfectly with our own strategic ambitions to balance and deliver the multiple benefits of forests for climate, nature, wood and people. One of our strategic ambitions is to enhance and restore biodiversity by increasing the area of our estate managed primarily for nature from 20% to 30% by 2025 and to transform areas of our forests so that 50% of our estate is managed primarily for nature in the long-term, while continuing to supply sustainably grown Irish wood. We look forward to commencing this important work with NPWS as soon as possible.”

Further Information

About NPWS

The NPWS is an Executive Agency within the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage, with primary responsibility for nature conservation, wildlife protection and the presentation and preservation of our National Parks and Nature Reserves.

The NPWS has a broad scientific remit, including the monitoring of habitats, species and designated sites, and undertaking scientific research. It has significant policy-advisory and policy-making functions in relation to nature and biodiversity.

The NPWS has a wide range of operational responsibilities including the management of 8 National Parks, 74 Nature Reserves, and a variety of other State lands accessible to the public. The NPWS manages a range of EU programmes, alongside thousands of conservation measures across the designated area network and National Parks.

The NPWS is the principal coordinator of the National Biodiversity Action Plan and is a statutory consultee in relation to planning matters, including county and regional development plans. It is the lead Agency in drawing up the National Restoration Plan for Nature. Other responsibilities include regulatory and licencing functions, administering grant schemes to support farm-plans, conservation measures, actions for biodiversity, as well as invasive species control measures and the prevention, investigation and enforcement of wildlife crime.

About Coillte

Coillte is Ireland's prime supplier of wood and wood products and is also Ireland’s largest provider of outdoor recreation. Coillte manages over 90,000 hectares of the forest estate primarily for nature and carries out biodiversity restoration projects at scale. It is Coillte’s ambition to extend the percentage of the estate managed primarily for nature from the current 20%, to 30% by 2025. Coillte also develops wind energy projects and produces panel-boards, and is part of a wider forestry sector, that supports 12,000 jobs and contributes €2.3bn to the economy annually.

Coillte manages 440,000 hectares of forested land, which is 7% of Ireland. Coillte is a key player in the restoration of natural ecosystems across the estate, such as forests, uplands and peatlands. Coillte has recently launched its long-term strategic vision to deliver the multiple benefits of forestry, for climate, nature, wood and people. For nature and climate, this ambitious strategy aims to deliver goals to develop enhanced habitat management, the protection of rare and threatened species and implementing actions such as Continuous Cover Forestry, increasing tree species diversity, rewetting suitable peatlands, managing invasive species and creating new native forest habitats. Coillte’s vision, specifically its ambitions for nature and climate, align very well with site specific conservation objectives for a range of habitats and species, specifically to support the delivery of the 4^th National Biodiversity Action Plan.

The Slieve Bloom Nature Project

Under the MoU, the parties have agreed to prioritise specific collaborative works in the lands owned by Coillte and NPWS in the Slieve Blooms. The scope of the work will include the following:

To identify a set of objectives that will support the aims of the Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan (HHTRP) and other bird conservation objectives, while also being cognisant of sustainable forest management principles;
To share current and best available survey data on the nesting and foraging locations of hen harrier and merlin, and to combine this with Coillte data to agree criteria for the selection of sites;
To identify strategically important habitats within forest areas managed primarily for nature, for the purpose of supporting the conservation of hen harrier and merlin;
To engage and agree a set of broad management goals and prescriptions for the areas identified;
To develop a costed operational plan to deliver the agreed goals and prescriptions;
To identify the regulatory challenges that may hinder or prevent implementation of the joint operational plan, and to develop shared solutions to those challenges, and to engage with third party stakeholders where required to resolve the challenges;
To collaborate on suitable funding measures required to support delivery of the shared operational plan;
To meet quarterly to maintain, monitor and review progress.

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