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• €4m available for local action through biodiversity funding schemes
• New National Biodiversity Action Plan underway
• 25 vascular plants added to Flora Protection Order
Today, March 3rd 2022, marks World Wildlife Day , which will be celebrated worldwide under the theme of “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”. Marking the day, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, has urged the public to protect nature, wildlife and biodiversity by engaging with programmes and initiatives administered in his Department.
The initiatives that allow the public to play their part in protecting wildlife include:
Funding schemes totalling €4m:
• The €2m Farm Plan scheme is accepting applications until March 31st, supporting landowners to deliver actions that benefit habitats and species in biodiversity areas of European and Irish importance.
• Funding of up to €500k is available to communities through the Community Foundation for Ireland in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to develop a Community Biodiversity Plan. Communities will work with an ecologist to draw up a community biodiversity action plan within their local community or with local landowners.
• €1.5 million in funding is available through the 2022 Local Biodiversity Action Fund - a 300% increase in funding for this scheme since 2019. This fund assists Local Authorities in the implementation of actions in the National Biodiversity Action Plan.
Events and public outreach:
• Members of the public are invited to learn more about peatlands restoration by joining Minister Noonan virtually on 8 March as he opens the end of project conference for the EU LIFE Living Bog project . The public can also take in a special NPWS guided visit to Clara Bog SAC, Co. Offaly and Carrownagappul Bog SAC, Co. Galway on 9 March (Registration for conference essential).
• Members of the public can also engage with World Wildlife Day by joining a [external-link https://www.youtube.com/c/WorldWildlifeDay2022/live | live stream ] celebration on March 3 2022 at 14:00 (CET).
Speaking today, Minister Noonan said:
“World Wildlife Day is a great opportunity to take action for nature and today we’re highlighting some of the ways people can get involved, from the Farm Plan Scheme to community biodiversity action plans to Local Authority grants. Supporting key species and restoring ecosystems is this year’s theme and the National Parks and Wildlife Service in my Department plays an important role in this work. Recent assessments at the national, EU and global level – including this week’s IPCC report – show that this is more important than ever.
“Following on from the Dáil’s declaration of a Biodiversity Emergency in 2019, our Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, set out objectives to promote and protect our biodiversity, working in a supportive and constructive way with organisations and communities all over the country, and also at the EU level. More recently, I was proud to be one of the EU Ministers to sign the Strasbourg Declaration on February 25th 2022, demonstrating political commitment to the biodiversity emergency. This Declaration underscores the European Union’s unprecedented ambition to protect, conserve and restore ecosystems and biodiversity and strengthen our capacity to take action.”
New national biodiversity policy
Minister Noonan added that his Department is currently developing Ireland’s Fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP), with support from KPMG and Natural Capital Ireland, due to be published later this year. The action plan will set out a strategy to meet the urgent biodiversity conservation and restoration needs through a whole of Government, whole of society approach to biodiversity protection, informed by scientific evidence. Public consultation will go live in April, followed by a major biodiversity conference in June this year bringing together academics, scientists, businesses, environmental NGOs and the public to inform the development of our next NBAP.
Minister Noonan also took the opportunity to praise the work of the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS). He said:
“The NPWS plays a crucial role in protecting our species and habitats to maintain and enhance populations of flora and fauna in Ireland. This includes its important roles in minding and presenting our National Parks and Nature Reserves, undertaking scientific research and data collection; management of schemes to protect and invest in peatlands and support farm-level biodiversity; and designation and advice on the protection of habitats and species identified for nature conservation.”
Recent NPWS activity to support Ireland’s biodiversity include:
• Updates to the Flora (Protection) Orders. These are made under Section 21 of the Wildlife Act 1976 to protect Ireland’s native flora. Following a review of the vascular plants protected under the current Flora (Protection) Order 2015, NPWS has recommended that an additional 25 vascular plants should be protected and a further 4 removed The new Flora (Protection) Order 2022 will be signed this month.
About World Wildlife Day 2022
The celebration of World Wildlife Day will seek to draw attention to the conservation status of some of the most critically endangered species of wild fauna and flora, and to drive discussions towards imagining and implementing solutions to conserve them. All conversations will be inspired by and seek to inform efforts towards the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero hunger) 12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns), 13 (Climate Action) 14 (Life Below Water) and 15 (Life on Land).
According to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, over 8,400 species of wild fauna and flora are critically endangered, while close to 30,000 more are understood to be endangered or vulnerable. Based on these estimates, it is suggested that over a million species are threatened with extinction.
The National Biodiversity Plan
The third National Biodiversity Plan 2017 – 2021 can be found here.
Updates on the draft fourth National Biodiversity Plan will be published on www.npws.ie
About NPWS
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (www.npws.ie) is part of the Heritage Division of the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage. The role of the NPWS is:
· To secure the conservation of a representative range of ecosystems to maintain and enhance populations of flora and fauna in Ireland.
· To designate and advise on the protection of habitats and species identified for nature conservation (Natural Heritage Areas (NHA), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA) having particular regard to the need to consult with interested parties.
· To make the necessary arrangements for the implementation of National and EU legislation and policies for nature conservation and biodiversity including the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, and for the ratification and implementation of the range of international Conventions and Agreements relating to the natural heritage.
· To manage, maintain and develop State-owned National Parks and Nature Reserves.
· To promote awareness of natural heritage and biodiversity issues through education, outreach to schools and engaging with stakeholders.
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Press Office
Tel: (01) 888 2638 (direct)
Email: press@housing.gov.ie
Website: gov.ie/housing
Twitter: @DeptHousingIRL