Please note: Following input from detailed ecology surveys and community engagement in 2022, some project details have been changed. This will be reflected in updated management plans which have been presented at community engagement walks at the project sites and which we will share in more detail in 2023.
The following preparatory actions will be applicable at Raven Point:
A1 Characterization and diagnosis of insular habitats. Assessment of the current situation
A2 Technical planning of concrete conservation actions
A3 Community participation regarding concrete conservation actions
These actions will be carried out as part of a management planning exercise that will deliver a management plan for the entire SAC.
A1 Ecological reviews (field and cabinet) will provide a scientific basis for deciding which interventions are appropriate in different settings. Therefore, active local community groups, recreational users and relevant eNGOs will be consulted and encouraged to make submissions for dune management. In particular, information will be sought on how people make use of the dunes, which can be incorporated into the management plan to reduce the potential for negative impacts on sensitive habitats. The forest plantation currently supports specialized forest species, including the red squirrel, and protects adjoining land from disturbance by Raven Point visitors. There are parts of the forested formations where the environmental conditions are negative for the successful restoration of the 2130*. Technical planning will identify forest formation areas that are most suitable for 2130* restoration, as well as areas where trees should be preserved, cleared, or replaced with native trees and shrubs. In each scenario, the specific methods and measures derived from the technical planning will be included in the management plan for the entire property. This plan, to be delivered as a Biodiversity Action Management Plan (BAMP) by COILLTE, is an important product of the preparatory actions and will form the basis for the long-term management strategy of the site and thus it will also contribute to the AfterLIFE plan.
