A significant new investment of €15 million in peatlands restoration will benefit cross-border collaboration, knowledge sharing and expertise building. Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE Integrated Project will receive €10 million from the Government’s Shared Island Fund and an additional €5 million in co-funding through the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, in collaboration with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and NatureScot. The funding announcement recognises the success of the agri-environmental and peatland restoration expertise demonstrated through the work of LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature in high nature value areas and the potential for knowledge exchange with the project partners NIEA and NatureScot.
The funding will be used to build capacity at local and national levels through upskilling, training and education programmes and restoration work. Sites in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland will be selected to deliver practical peatland restoration, build capacity for long-term peatland management, undertake research and monitoring, exchange knowledge, and address socio-cultural issues across a range of restoration scenarios. These include the restoration of private and public lands, demonstration of restoration of erosion impacts, reactivation of drained peatlands, forest to bog restoration, control of alien invasives, addressing grazing pressures, improving community engagement and increasing education and awareness. The owners and users of the project sites will be at the centre of any planned activities and participation will be voluntary.
