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Award for Inch Lake
wildlife reserve
14.11.08
DONEGAL County Council
has scored a double at the prestigious Chambers
Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards.
The Council scooped an Environment Initiative award
for its €700,000 Inch Level wildlife reserve. The
Inch Levels initiative is an environmental tourism
and community-based project located at Inch near
Burt and Burnfoot. The Inch site is one Europe’s
premier bird viewing areas and provides feeding for
internationally significant numbers of Greenland
White-fronted Geese and Whooper Swans. The project
is a result of collaboration between Donegal County
Development Board partners National Parks and
Wildlife Service, Failte Ireland and Donegal County
Council, as well as private-sector involvement
through Donegal Creameries.
Over the past four years the area has been
transformed with the development of 8km of walkways
on the perimeter of Inch Lake, installation of bird
viewing areas and the upgrading of access roads.
Construction of car parking facilities at key access
points and the creation of a woodland education zone
for school groups, families and general users alike
has also taken place. The key stakeholders have
contributed to a total investment of over €700,000
in this period |
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Donegal County
Development Board, Cllr. Francis Conaghan accepted
the award at a ceremony in Dublin. “I would like to
pay tribute to Donegal County Development Board
partners National Parks and Wildlife Service, Failte
Ireland, Donegal Creameries and Donegal County
Council for the hard work and vision shown in the
Inch Levels initiative. Alongside the work of the
local community, all partners have played a valuable
role in the development of one of the Country’s most
stunning and interesting places to visit.”
The Council also picked up a Sports and Recreation
category award for its community-based recreational
trails based in Crolly, West Donegal. The project
was developed in association with Failte Ireland and
has provided 8km of safe walking for the local
community and tourists. |
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