Poots launches £800,000 environment funding boost

Environment Minister Edwin Poots MLA has announced an £800,000 Environmental Challenge Fund Competition, to support environmental projects across Northern Ireland.

DAERA Minister Edwin Poots MLA pictured with Andrew Crory, Nature Reserves Manager, Ulster Wildlife on site at Slievenacloy in the Belfast Hills. Slievenacloy was part of a successful project under the fund delivered by Ulster Wildlife in 2019/20.

The Fund is available for not-for-profit organisations and councils to deliver key environmental priorities across Northern Ireland. It is envisaged that the majority of grant awards will be between £20,000 and £50,000 and that the maximum amount of Government funding available under the competition will be 75% of eligible project costs.

Launching the competition at Slievenacloy in the Belfast Hills, the Minister said “The impact of Covid-19, alongside the difficult financial climate, means this is a great opportunity to support the work of local organisations who are passionate about improving the environment. I have seen at first hand the value of the work carried out by these groups and I have been highly impressed by the levels of partnership working and volunteer enthusiasm. I commend them for this work.

“The Fund enables environmental ‘Not for Profit’ organisations to focus on the areas of environmental protection, improvement and monitoring of habitats and species; the quality of fresh and coastal waters and air; promotion of health, well-being, understanding, appreciation and action for the environment and access to the natural environment.  It will help us to continue to deliver DAERA’s strategic aims and those in the Programme for Government.”
 

The key areas for funding under this competition are:

1. Nature Recovery: Building ecological and climate resilience

• Peatland (blanket bog, lowland raised bog, heathlands) climate change mitigation/adaptation measures;
• Blue carbon habitat (saltmarsh, seagrass, kelp, shellfish beds etc.) climate change mitigation/adaptation measures
• Nature Recovery Networks; and
• Capital purchases essential for conservation.

2.  Outdoor Recreation and Connecting People with the Environment:

• Delivery of core path networks and strategic routes;
• Provision of recreation infrastructure; and
• Delivery of outdoor recreation data products essential to underpin decision making and action and information provision.

The Department is currently managing a three/four-year Strategic Strand of the Environment Fund and this new Environmental Challenge Competition complements that.

Further information, including guidance notes and details of how you can apply for funding, can be found on the DAERA website at https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/environment-fund.  The closing date for applications is noon on Tuesday 28 July 2020.

Notes to editors: 

1.  The full eligibility and environmental impact priorities are:-

1. Nature Recovery: Building ecological and climate resilience

      (a) Peatland (blanket bog, lowland raised bog, heathlands) climate change mitigation/adaptation measures:

       - Development and/or implementation of management measures to improve the condition of peatland habitats across Northern Ireland.

       - Peatland habitat data capture – for example assessment of: activity/management, wildfire, hydrological condition, carbon storage or sequestration assessment; restoration potential assessments.

       - Development of strategic approaches to wildfire risk reduction, management and response.

       - Development of education, skills, management, communication and/or awareness programmes around peatland habitats.

      (b) Blue carbon habitat (saltmarsh, seagrass, kelp, shellfish beds etc.) climate change mitigation/adaptation measures

       - Feasibility studies on blue carbon restoration opportunities

       - Development and/or implementation of management measure which contribute to the achievement of increasing the extent and/or improving the condition of blue carbon habitats in the Northern Ireland marine and               coastal environment.

       - Blue carbon habitat data capture to improve our knowledge on distribution and health.

       -  Development of education, skills, management, communication and/or awareness programmes around blue carbon habitats.

       (c) Nature Recovery Networks

       - Feasibility studies for the development of nature recovery networks or hubs to connect current nature hotspots and facilitate the expansion of NI priority habitats and species at a landscape scale (e.g. NI wide; District           Council level; AONB level; or Regional Landscape Character Area level).

       - Development of citizen science apps to facilitate and encourage recording of species and habitats in the wider countryside across Northern Ireland to develop data products essential to underpin decision making and           action and information provision. 

     (d) Capital purchases Essential for Conservation

        - Essential to meet national and International habitat and species commitments and draft Programme for Government requirements, including land purchase, practical management machinery and essential monitoring equipment.

       2. Outdoor Recreation and Connecting People with the Environment:

      (a) Delivery of core path networks and strategic routes, (including any necessary land purchase), primarily in partnership with councils. Routes must:

        - Lead to a quality experience of the natural environment.

        - Be a minimum of 1km long or provide sustainable access to a designated site.

        - Not have a charge for their use.

     (b) Provision of recreation infrastructure including:

       - Improving accessibility for all: including path upgrades and replacing styles with accessible options or Changing Places;

       - Infrastructure to waymark routes.

    (c) Delivery of outdoor recreation data products essential to underpin decision making and action and information provision: including:

      - Production of data and statistics on outdoor recreation;

      - Provision of mapping for outdoor recreation facilities at a regional or sub-regional scale.

2.  The maximum amount of Government funding available under the competition will be 75% of eligible project costs, except in exceptional circumstances.

3.  Applications can be submitted up until noon on Tuesday 28 July 2020.

4. Follow DAERA on Twitter and Facebook: https://twitter.com/daera_ni and www.facebook.com/daerani.gov.uk 

5.  All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office on 028 9052 4619 or via email to pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.

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