UPGRADE works on the access road to Arts Forest Park have been approved.
Funding of €60,000 has been announced by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue,
Monies have been approved under the government’s Our Rural Future strategy.
The work will see the main access road from the entrance to the car park upgraded.
McConalogue said: “During the pandemic, we re-engaged with our outdoor spaces and amenities.
“The Ards Forest Park is a fantastic resource and space for Donegal people and for tourists and continously upgrading our shared spaces such as Ards is important.”
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has confirmed €1.2 million in funding to support recreation facilities and outdoor tourism in forest parks and other Coillte sites.
This additional funding means that the Department of Rural and Community Development will be investing €3.2 million in total in outdoor recreation facilities at Coillte sites this year.
Over 18 million individual visits are made to Coillte forests every year with the visitor numbers increasing by 40% during the Pandemic, according to a report published by the Minister today.
The report found that between March and December of last year, some 2.2 million people visited the top 50 Coillte forests.
In recognition of the growing popularity of our forest parks, Minister Humphreys is today allocating €1.2 million to Coillte in addition to the €2 million already allocated.
The funding is designed to enhance the experience of visitors, support rural tourism and develop Ireland’s unique forest amenities.
The investment also supports the objectives of Our Rural Future, the Government’s five year strategy aimed at revitalising rural communities.
