- A new Upland Recreation Scheme being piloted in the MacGillycuddy Reeks, with more than 50 landowners participating.
- Funding for the Helping the Hills programme, to help build capacity to address path erosion in upland areas.
Under the Upland Recreation Scheme landowners in the Reeks will have the opportunity to be paid to carry out work to maintain popular hillwalking routes and to engage with visitors to the Reeks. Funding has been committed for a three-year pilot programme. This should help protect the fragile upland environment, make recreational activity more sustainable and benefit the landowners who are facilitating access to the Reeks.
The Helping the Hills programme will be coordinated by Mountaineering Ireland, working with a steering group that includes representation from the MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access Forum and other groups working to manage recreation in Ireland’s upland areas. The main focus of the Helping the Hills programme will be on developing and delivering training programmes to help address path erosion in upland areas.
Both these projects are funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, as part of the implementation of Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors,’ Ireland’s National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027.
For more see: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development-and-the-gaeltacht/press-releases/minister-calleary-announces-new-pilot-payment-scheme-for-landowners-in-the-macgillycuddy-reeks/