Wild Nephin National Park is to be twinned with Yosemite National Park in the US as part of a five-year agreement between the parks.
The Department of Heritage said that the agreement will enable international co-operation and knowledge exchange to support nature conservation, natural and cultural tourism.
Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan and US Ambassador to Ireland Claire D. Cronin visited Wild Nephin National Park in Co. Mayo for the signing of the agreement.
The document was signed by Catriona Ryan from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Cicely Muldoon, superintendent of Yosemite National Park in California.
National Parks
Located in northwest Mayo, Wild Nephin National Park was designated as Ireland’s sixth National Park in 1998.
It has 15,000ha of uninhabited and unspoilt wilderness, dominated by the Nephin Beg mountain range and includes the Owenduff Bog, one of the last intact active blanket bog systems in Western Europe.
It is officially certified as a Gold Tier standard International Dark Sky Park, on a clear night visitors can see thousands of stars, other planets in our solar system, the Milky Way and meteor showers.
Yosemite National Park covers more than 300,000ha, 95% of which is designated wilderness and is home to five of the world’s highest waterfalls, granite domes and wells, deep valleys, giant sequoia groves and lakes.
Yosemite, which was designated a national park in 1890, is famous for unique and pronounced landform features as a result of glacial action on granitic bedrock.
Agreement
Minister Malcolm Noonan said the sister park agreement offers “exciting opportunities for both parks”.
“While they may differ in size and geographical features, the challenges they face in Wild Nephin and Yosemite are really very similar.
“These include balancing nature conservation with visitor impact, preserving our ecological and cultural heritage, controlling invasive species, and educating new generations.
“This agreement marks another connection in the shared history of Ireland and the USA and has a special meaning here in Co. Mayo.
“It is also a reminder that the challenge of protecting biodiversity is both a local and a global one,” he said.
US Ambassador to Ireland, Claire D. Cronin said that the signing of the agreement takes place during the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the US.
“These two parks are treasures of natural beauty and biodiversity. This partnership strengthens our commitment to conservation and highlights the deep historical ties between Co. Mayo and the US,” she said.
Connemara National Park has a twinning agreement with Terra Nova National Park in Newfoundland, Canada.
In 2021, Killarney National Park signed an agreement with Glacier National Park in Montana.