Mourne National Park Working Party
Mourne National Park Working Party
The Mourne National Park Working Party was established in October 2004 by the Department of Environment at the request of the Minister Angela Smith MP, to advise the Department on the creation of a national park in Mourne. It was an independent body, with members selected to bring both local and wider perspectives to proposals for a national park in Mourne.
On 31 August 2006, the Mourne National Park Working Party launched a three-month long period of Public Consultation. The Consultation was aimed at informing people about the facts surrounding the National Park proposal and at providing them with the opportunity to express their opinions regarding it. In particular, views were sought on a boundary option for the proposed new National Park. During the Consultation which ran from 1 September through to 30 November, the MNPWP undertook a wide range of communications activities including public meetings, special interest group workshops, and the distribution of a consultation leaflet. A total of 2298 comments were submitted via the consulation leaflet alone.
In September 2007, the Working Party presented their report to the Minister. The presentation is available on their website.