People across County Roscommon have until this Saturday, August 29th, to contribute to the first stage of consultation on the county’s first Biodiversity Action Plan.
Roscommon County Council is currently developing the plan, which will set out a framework for protecting, managing and enhancing biodiversity across the county. The first round of consultation is focused on a discussion paper, with submissions accepted until 5 pm on Saturday.
The consultation is being carried out in two stages, with the current phase intended to gather views from members of the public, community organisations and other interested groups before the plan is finalised.
An in-person consultation event was held at the Council’s Boyle Area Office last Friday, August 21st, as part of the process.
The development of a county Biodiversity Action Plan is also included as a commitment in Roscommon County Council’s Corporate Plan 2024-2029, which states that the local plan will help implement the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030.
Work on the Roscommon plan has been underway for some time. Earlier this year, the Council reported that a discussion document and a number of draft actions were being developed, while a Biodiversity Working Group was being established with representation from NGOs and community interest groups.
Local biodiversity plans typically identify important habitats and species and set out practical actions aimed at conserving or improving them. Previous Roscommon biodiversity work has highlighted the role such plans can play in identifying areas of ecological value, improving habitats and increasing public awareness of local wildlife and the natural environment.
The county’s rivers, lakes, wetlands, peatlands, grasslands, hedgerows and woodland areas mean biodiversity policy can intersect with a wide range of local issues, from agriculture and development to recreation, tourism and community projects.
The current consultation gives residents an opportunity to identify the habitats, species and biodiversity issues they believe should receive particular attention in the new county-wide plan.
Copies of the discussion paper are available through Roscommon County Council’s public consultation portal or from the Council’s Biodiversity Officer.
Submissions can be made online through the consultation portal or by post to the Biodiversity Officer at Áras an Chontae, Roscommon town.
The deadline for submissions in this first stage is 5 pm on Saturday, August 29th.
