THERE is a “unique opportunity” in Rostrevor to launch a major habitat restoration project, South Down MP Chris Hazzard has said. The MP said he believes the local area is “uniquely suitable for one of the most ambitious rewilding projects in Ireland”.
He wants to see a wide-ranging initiative, which includes restoring peatland and woodland. Last week, in the Cloughmore Centre in Kilbroney Park, he brought together representatives of Newry, Mourne and Down Council, the Forestry Service, the Woodland Trust, the Mourne Heritage Trust, Ulster Wildlife, and local campaigners to discuss the way forward for such an ecological restoration project. “Here in South Down we are privileged to have some spectacularly nature-rich habitat – from the heath, peat and woodland of the Mournes to our coastal dune heath and wetlands stretching from Strangford Lough in the northeast to the Carlingford Lough in the southwest of the constituency,” the Sinn Féin MP stated. “However, parts of the Mournes require a significant investment in peatland restoration to stop runaway blanket bog collapse – especially in parts of the higher Mournes – and a natural regeneration and rewilding of woodland on the lower slopes.
“While the ancient native woodland in Castlewellan and Tollymore have been almost entirely eradicated by state-driven forestry, the remnant oak wood in Rostrevor is one of the few remaining native oak woods in Ireland, with the 14- hectare site hugging the northern coastline of Carlingford Lough, rising steeply up the side of Cloughmore. “Significantly a recent mapping exercise by local environmental activists has logged many hundreds of relict oak trees in the surrounding 200 hectares of forest, with a vibrant forest floor holding a rich ancient oak seedbank, teeming with potential for regeneration. “With the ongoing review of the Down Forestry Plan, and the infestation of P ramorum within the forest, which requires clearing of huge areas of larch and spruce in the next few years, this location is now uniquely suitable for one of the most ambitious rewilding projects in Ireland.”
He added that the rewilding project has three main aspects. “Firstly, we want to restore the greatest possible area of ancient woodland by removing non-native planted conifers and protecting the relic oak trees. “Secondly, we want to create Ireland’s only ‘Sea to Summit’ natural, native woodland. “With each part of the forest ecosystem having its own unique set of plant relationships in its shrub, field and ground layers – ultimately it will be a forest free to move up or down the slopes as the climate changes. “Finally, we want to restore the blanket bog connected to this woodland habitat. “Large areas of Kilbroney and the Red Bog were drained and planted with Sitka Spruce – not only destroying the biodiversity of the bog, but also emitting significant amounts of carbon. “The arrival of forestry in the bog also brought with it predators who have naturally had a negative impact on the ground-nesting, wading birds like the curlew.”
Mr Hazzard acknowledged that the restoration project is “hugely ambitious” but added that it is also “hugely important”. “So, I want to thank the different agencies for bringing huge amounts of expertise and enthusiasm to the discussion, and for their commitment to be involved in this process going forward.”
