DAERA Minister has said that we all have a
part to play in protecting and enhancing our natural landscapes.
The Minister was speaking at the “Enriched Landscapes Enriched
Lives” event in the Long Gallery in Parliament Buildings where
Landscapes NI was launching its NI Landscapes Manifesto.
The event showcased the special landscapes and natural
environment of Northern Ireland and the variety of benefits that
landscapes provide to people. It provided an opportunity for
professionals working in landscape protection and management to
share knowledge and examples of good practice and explore how we
can all work together to protect and enhance our landscapes.
Landscapes NI is a re-revitalised network of 16 different
organisations working directly to manage nature and people in the
Northern Ireland landscape.
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.”
