KCC should have a Biodiversity Officer role, and preferably an environmental officer in every Municipal District.
We have a lot of protection for trees and hedgerows on agricultural land, but little for our towns and villages. Felling in urban areas should be limited and licensed only if necessary. Plant pocket forests and greenery on every space patch of land - roadsides, public lawns, etc. - to promote biodiversity and carbon capture. Existing tress and hedgerows should be preserved as much as possible, to protect biodiversity as well as the carbon already sequestered therein.
Dedicated wild/green areas are needed across the county. Not just grassy greens, but wild forest areas of native species with a few paths that are mostly left to go wild and act as lungs for the county. Protection for existing trees and hedgerows - felling in urban areas should be limited and licensed if necessary. Plant pocket forests and greenery on every space patch of land - roadsides, public lawns, etc. - to promote biodiversity and carbon capture.
Within new developments, guidelines should be set for native pollinator-friendly species to be used in landscaping. As well as a public open space, there should be dedicated biodiversity areas within developments for wildlife and pocket forests as amenities. For every tree felled as part of construction, at least one more should be replaced on the finished site, but as much of our existing natural heritage should be retained and protected.
The end of peat extraction from our bogs means there is a huge opportunity to repurpose them as biodiversity areas, carbon sinks and a natural amenity for residents and tourists alike. There is potential of using existing Bord na Mona railways as “peat-ways” to link greenways and blueways is incredible. They could also to act as a network of green roads across the midlands linking rewetted cutaways and transforming them into a de facto national park stretching across Kildare and Offaly, showcasing the bogs and our industrial heritage.