Natural Heritage Area () is a

conservation designation A conservation designation is a name and/or acronym which explains the status of an area of land in terms of conservation or protection. Examples United Kingdom *Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) * Environmentally sensitive area * Local n ...

denoting a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 makes legal provision for the designation and protection of a national network of Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs). The designation is currently used by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to protect wildlife habitats, such as

raised bog Raised bogs, also called ombrotrophic bogs, are acidic, wet habitats that are poor in mineral salts and are home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Raised bogs, unlike fens, are exclusively fed by precipitation ( ombro ...

s. 75 raised bogs were designated for protection in 2004 under the Wildlife Act.

Geological sites

It is also intended that the designation be used to protect

geosite Geoheritage is the geological aspect of natural and cultural heritage. A geosite is a particular geoheritage asset. The word is a blend of ''geological'' and ''heritage''. It is thus a heritage category comparable to other forms of natural he ...

s (sites of geological and

geomorphological Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or n ...

interest). The

Geological Survey of Ireland Geological Survey Ireland or Geological Survey of IrelandS.I. No. 300/2002 - Communications, Energy and Geological Survey of Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 ( ga, Suirbhéireacht Gheolaíochta ...

(GSI) provides scientific appraisal and interpretative advice on such sites, while the NPWS have the responsibility of designation and management. In identifying important sites that are capable of being conserved as NHAs, the GSI groups them by geological themes.

Karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

(i.e. exposed limestone) was chosen as the first geological theme because of its vulnerability and the ever-mounting threats. By 2012 the GSI had completed its list of karst and early fossil sites, but the time frame for designation by NPWS was unknown.Natural Heritage Areas
National Parks and Wildlife Service. Accessed 5 February 2016 Meanwhile some geosites, such as Burren and Cliffs of Moher, had been designated Global Geoparks, part of a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

assisted network.

Threats to NHAs

In 2014 the Irish government proposed the de-designation of a number of Natural Heritage Areas to allow turf-cutting on bogs in the protected areas. This was announced as a legislative priority after the 2016 general election. Some bogs were de-designated in 2018.

References

{{reflist Environment of the Republic of Ireland Bogs of the Republic of Ireland Geology of the Republic of Ireland

Geological sites

Threats to NHAs

See also

References