A community in Connemara has declared war on weed. Letterfrack Tidy Towns Committee has joined forces with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to rid Connemara National Park of invasive plant species.
Three invasive species have been discovered within the national park, including Lesser Knotweed (Persicaria campanulata), Giant Rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) and Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum). They are also present in Letterfrack village nearby.
“Each of these poses its own particular challenge and requires a specific plan of action to control, manage and, where possible and practicable, eradicate,” said Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
A plan has been developed by NPWS and Letterfrack Tidy Towns to eradicate Lesser Knotweed in the village and national park. Minister Humphreys said this species is “not considered a major threat”, and due to the small area involved, “costs will be minimal and total eradication is expected”.
A small number of Giant Rhubarb plants has been discovered within the national park and in the adjacent village. The Tidy Towns committee has included it in its plan to eradicate invasive species.
Minister Humphrey’s said, “it is expected that the costs involved will be low, being limited mainly to the cost of the herbicides used.”
She said that the threat posed by Rhododendron is far greater a risk in the park, and if it’s not treated it can have implications including replacing native plants.
“Rhododendron occurs in important habitats in Connemara National Park such as oak woodlands, bogs and heath, and is considered a problematic invasive species,” she said.
“My Department carries out an annual targeted programme of works to manage the spread of Rhododendron in the park. The extent of the problem varies from area to area within the park and, having regard to the very dynamic nature of this invasive species, the targeted management programme is routinely monitored and adjusted with a view to ensuring optimum efficacy.
If left unchecked, this invasive species can grow in dense thickets and replace native shrub, exclude native vegetation, and constrain native woodland regeneration. The management programme has made significant inroads into the problem and large areas of previously infested areas are now clear of the plant.”
Minister Humphreys said some €13,000 has been spent since 2012 on Rhododendron clearance in Connemara National Park.
She said that the ultimate plan is to eradicate Rhododendron ponticum from all national parks – the annual Rhododendron management programme is intended to create conditions in the Park that are conducive to the protection and re-establishment of native species and, particularly, our native woodlands.
Minister Humphreys praised the local community for their efforts in helping to eradicate invasive species.
“My Department is committed to continuing this important and challenging work into the future. I would like to recognise the important contribution of volunteer groups to this work, and also to acknowledge the excellent work of my Department’s staff in Connemara National Park who, along with their colleagues in National Parks around the country, have been instrumental in developing new methods to increase the effectiveness of our efforts to control this plant and other invasive species,” she added.
She was responding to a parliamentary question submitted by Galway West TD, Noel Grealish.
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