merrion street

Minister of State with responsibility for forestry Shane McEntee today announced the re-opening of the Neighbourwood Scheme, a forestry support scheme to assist communities to create their own ‘close-to-home’ woodland amenities.

The Neighbourwood Scheme, operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is an exciting package supporting the development of ‘close-to-home’ woodland amenities for local people, designed and managed through partnerships involving local communities and local authorities.

In announcing the re-opening of the Scheme, Minister of State McEntee said:

“The Neighbourwood Scheme is a significant one for our towns and local communities. These projects are typically developed by a partnership of a Local Authority and community and recreational groups to provide a woodland amenity that people in the area can visit and enjoy. The resulting woodland amenity can also bring tourism benefits as well as providing a valuable biodiversity habitat. Neighbourwoods provide a fantastic focus for community life and local spirit and the development of such projects throughout the country would be a fitting celebration of 2013’s ‘Year of the Gathering’

Read the full press release here.