Westmeath to receive €61k for biodiversity projects
Belvedere House, Gardens and Park is to get €26,000 towards an Invasive Alien Species Management Plan.
The funding is part of €61k announced for biodiversity projects across Westmeath.
Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, announced over €1.4 million in total for Local Authorities to carry out biodiversity projects through the Local Biodiversity Action Fund (LBAF).
Other Westmeath projects include €9,271 for biodiversity management and enhancement plans will be prepared for Council owned lands at Kerinstown/Balrowan.
A further €12,750 will go towards a Wetland Survey raising awareness of wetland sites across the county, where field surveys will be carried out.
A total of €4,250 will go towards improving the status of Barn Owls. It’s proposed to implement a citizen science and strategic survey to assess the status and breeding performance of Barn Owls in Westmeath and to identify their conservation requirements. Practical conservation guidance will be provided through a series of high-quality videos on nest boxes, managing and creating habitat, and rodenticide use.
Pollinator Awareness in Westmeath is to receive €5,173. There are plans to run an expanded campaign on Midlands 103 Radio that will include a full schedule of the nine infomercials running one per week as appropriate to the time of year. There will be specific messaging around Biodiversity Week also.
A further €3,371 will go be focused on the invasive alien species, the Quagga Mussel. The Quagga mussel is a high impact aquatic invasive alien species discovered in the Shannon in 2021 and aims to address several key knowledge gaps. The quagga mussel will outcompete the zebra mussel, establish higher biomass even on soft sediments to a depth far beyond 34m, and effect the filtering rates of our lake and river water.
Some €957 will go towards a Biodiversity Awareness and Management Plan for the Old Rail Trail Greenway.
In 2018 NBAP funded site survey and a report outlining recommendations to enhance the greenway for Pollinators and Biodiversity.
They intend to build on that Plan by engaging an Ecologist to develop projects to enhance Biodiversity at 4 specific locations on the Greenway. An Ecologist will undertake a site survey and prepare a Biodiversity Management Plan for Council lands at Ranelagh, circa 2 ha, south ofc Lough Ree SAC, SPA and north of the River Shannon Callows SAC, SPA.
Since it was launched in 2018, a total of almost €4m has been granted to local authorities through the LBAF to carry out projects in support of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021 (NBAP).
“We know that communities are at the heart of biodiversity action and that’s why I’m so thrilled to see this fund continue to grow and increase its impact all across the country,” said Minister Malcolm Noonan.
“This year, we’ve funded 128 projects across all 31 Local Authorities – this will have real, tangible impact for nature and it couldn’t come at a more crucial time. What’s more, the successful projects are all contributing to the implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) and helping to advance our shared vision for nature. The new NBAP is currently out for public consultation, so it’s a great opportunity for people to have their say and help shape the future for biodiversity in Ireland.”
Engagement with communities and local authorities is crucial to the implementation of the National Biodiversity Action Plan. The LBAF scheme represents a commitment to support implementation of the Plan at community, county and regional level, and recognises the importance of the work carried out by local authorities through their biodiversity and heritage officers.
All 31 local authorities applied for and will receive funding this year, with a total of 128 projects approved, covering a range of biodiversity related activities, including invasive alien species control, dune restoration, wetland surveys and biodiversity awareness and training.
The public consultation for Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan launched on September 1st and submissions are invited through www.gov.ie/biodiversityplan. The public consultation will close on November 9th and the 4th NBAP will be published in early 2023.