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Above: L-R Max Bryant, NIEL CEO, Martin Carey, Landscapes NI Chair, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, Mike McClure, Landscapes NI Development Manager & Stephen Aston, NIEL Chairperson.
24th October 2024

Enriched Landscapes, Enriched Lives event and launch of Manifesto for Landscapes in Northern Ireland.

Above: Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA addressing attendees at the Enriched Landscapes, Enriched Lives event in Stormont

Representatives from across the environment and heritage sector as well as local authorities and statutory bodies in Northern Ireland met on 23rd October for an engaging all-day event that celebrated our iconic and highly prized landscapes in Northern Ireland. The venue for the event was the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings. The event also saw the launch of the Manifesto for Landscapes in Northern Ireland. The event is also part of NI Environment Week – which in 2024 is focused on landscapes.

Landscapes NI, which is the network of all our designated and iconic landscapes in Northern Ireland will be central in helping to deliver Environment Week 2024. Landscapes NI champions the restoration of our diverse and iconic landscapes for the benefit of our health, nature, economy, and our planet. They do this through sharing best practice, advocating for improved policy, legislation and frameworks to help restore nature in our landscapes, support those who live and work in these places, promote their special qualities to the public and encouraging accessibility to all.

The manifesto for landscapes highlights the need for new landscapes strategy, policy and ultimately legislation in Northern Ireland that recognises the need for holistic and joined up approaches along with area-based management of these priceless resources. It also highlights the demand that there now is to access these areas for health and well-being, especially in the post-covid era, but currently there is a lack of resource to support this. The manifesto is a clarion call to ensure the protection of landscape character and enhancement of these wonderful natural assets, for the benefit of nature, people and planet.

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, MLA, who provided the keynote address at the “Enriched Landscapes, Enriched Lives” event at Parliament buildings commented:

Welcoming the launch of the Manifesto, Minister Muir said “Northern Ireland has an incredible array of amazing landscapes and seascapes. They are not only places of outstanding beauty they are also where we live, work and play, they provide a home for diverse nature and wildlife, and they support livelihoods through agriculture and tourism.

“We need to reduce the harm caused to those landscapes and ensure that they are resilient to the risks of climate change. It is our responsibility to protect these natural treasures for future generations.

“The Landscapes NI manifesto has clear links to the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) that was agreed by the Executive and published last month.

“The EIP commits to developing a landscape Action Plan by December 2025, completing a landscape and policy review, and then, publishing a landscape strategy by March 2027.

“This will help us to create ‘Healthy and accessible landscapes everyone can connect with and enjoy.”

The event on 23rd October at Parliament Buildings was jointly sponsored by Mr Andrew McMurray MLA, Paul Frew MLA and Philip McGuigan MLA. Speaking in advance of the launch, Andrew McMurray MLA said:

“We cannot achieve Programme for Government aims to protect the environment and support healthy lifestyles for all without thinking at a landscape level. Nature doesn’t respect or consider local or regional boundaries and nature recovery must be at a landscape level. It is my hope that this event will inspire a passion for working together to promote and protect the wonderful landscapes throughout Northern Ireland.”

Stephen Aston, Chairperson of Northern Ireland Environment Link, commented:

“NI Environment Link has been delighted to see the Landscape management organisations coming together to develop both this day and the manifesto for landscapes in Northern Ireland. The work of Landscapes NI members aligns completely with the new NIEL strategy and many of the key topics we focus on showcase the need for landscape level thinking and management. The manifesto is a clear call for stronger and more strategic support for the sector.”

 Martin Carey, Chair of Landscapes NI added:

Landscapes NI has set out what we believe is a compelling case for area-based approaches to not only protecting and enhancing our finest landscapes and associated heritage but also engaging people and communities with broader challenges our environment faces, through the ‘gateways’ of the areas they most know and value. As we have heard today, by comparison with other jurisdictions across these islands and Europe, Northern Ireland has a significantly underdeveloped strategy and apparatus for caring for defined landscapes. Yet, we feel that landownership and population patterns here, as well as cultural associations with land, actually argue for well-structured and resourced locality-based approaches being at the forefront of our governmental and societal responses to climate change and the pollution and biodiversity crises. Where better to inspire meaningful action than in our most beautiful, iconic, culturally rich and, of course, loved landscapes?

Note to Editors:

  • The event commenced at 9.30am at the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings on the 23rd October.
  • Programme of public events as part of NI Environment Week is available on the Landscapes NI website: www.landscapesni.org
  • Landscapes NI is the networking body for the various landscape management bodies across Northern Ireland. Landscapes NI vision is: “Cherished landscapes benefiting people and nature in Northern Ireland” and our mission is “Working together to promote landscapes and associated policy and practice in Northern Ireland.”
  • Contact Details for Landscapes Northern Ireland:

Website: www.landscapesni.org

Email: mike@nienvironmentlink.org

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