A Partnership Agreement between the Association of Rivers Trusts and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency has been launched by the NI Environment Minister, Edwin Poots.
The new Rivers Trust Partnership Agreement has set out how river trusts, like the Ballinderry River Enhancement Association and the recently formed Six Mile Water Trust, and Northern Ireland’s Government departments can work together to protect and enhance the water environment, through the sharing of information, resources, skills and learning.
Speaking at the launch in Cookstown, Minister Poots said, “This new River Trust Partnership Agreement will ensure local issues are identified and prioritised with local people. My Department can only achieve good water status by 2015 through working in partnership with local residents and community groups to improve the current water status.”
Geoff Nuttall, Director of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Northern Ireland said, “We welcome this new agreement between the rivers trusts and Government to work with local people to identify local challenges in achieving the EU’s requirements for good water status for our rivers by 2015.”
