Natural Resource Protection and Environmental Enhancement

Blackwater Regional Partnership

The Blackwater Regional Partnership is a coalition of three local authorities; Armagh City and District Council, Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council, and County Monaghan Council.The aim of the association is to provide leadership for the citizens of the region through facilitating and implementing policies and programmes which will improve the quality of life for all residents. There are three active projects currently being managed by the Partnership; Blackwater TRACE, Blackwater Natural Resource Tourism, and Blackwater Training and Re-skilling. Blackwater TRACE is an initiative which aims to improve the quality of water in the Blackwater River catchment area. As a cross-border project, it focuses on three rural 5km² pilot sub-catchments in Tyrone, Monaghan and Armagh. Declining water quality in small streams like these is thought to pose a major threat to the high quality salmon and trout in the Blackwater River. Blackwater Natural Resource Tourism aims to promote the sustainable use of the region's resources via the tourism and leisure industries. The programme intends to promote co-ordinated development and access to the countryside through cross community and cross border links. Blackwater Training & Re-skilling aims to develop the skills infrastructure necessary to support the Partnership's Rural Development Strategy by facilitating and supporting higher education centres/organisations within the catchment area and provide training opportunities through partnerships, exchanges and joint ventures. The Blackwater Regional Partnership is an excellent example of how local councils can work together to further the pursuit of sustainability and creation of sustainable communities.

Newtownabbey Borough Council

The Newtownabbey Local Biodiversity Action Plan "The Future in Our hands" was launched in September 2006. The implementation has been taking place throughout the borough through a range of projects to protect, enhance and promote biodiversity. Projects include tree planting events, wildflower meadow management, river corridor enhancement, designation of sites as Local Nature Reserves and promotional activities to help people understand their role in the protection of biodiversity.

As part of the implementation of the action plan the council ran a tree planting programme in primary schools throughout the area. Local schools were provided with the opportunity to learn about their local biodiversity by enhancing the school grounds or a local park by planting native trees. This resulted in the involvement of well over 500 children in a practical project to teach them of the importance of biodiversity in their daily lives.

At each event the children involved in the tree planting were taught what biodiversity is and how it impacts directly on them. Also, through the involvement in the actual tree planting the children could learn how they can help look after their local environment and the biodiversity it supports. It is hoped that the children's involvement in the project, including getting dirty, will encourage them appreciate the importance of our environment as well as looking after the trees that have been planted. As well as the children learning about the value of our local biodiversity various other bodies attended the planting events including local community groups, Translink, the Fire and Rescue Service and local angling groups.