This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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East Ayrshire conservation flagship
01/11/2002
An innovative restoration project in East Ayrshire to
reclaim former coalfield sites as wildlife habitats was
today praised by Deputy Environment and Rural Development
Minister Allan Wilson.
He was visiting Scottish Coal's House of Water open cast
coal mine, a flagship conservation project to restore wet
grassland for breeding wading birds.
Mr Wilson said:
"Much of our wildlife is taken for granted. This project
embraces the very ideals of biodiversity which is a
priority for the Executive.
"It is enlightening and rewarding to see at first hand
this project which aims to re-instate the original habitats
and maximise their benefit for the wildlife of this
area.
"It is also encouraging that a main aim of the project
is to increase peoples' awareness and appreciation of the
benefits to their natural heritage within East Ayrshire's
coalfields area."
The project at House of Water forms part of the recently
launched Coalfield Environment Initiative, a partnership
between Scottish Coal, the Scottish Wildlife Trust ,
Scottish Natural Heritage, East Ayrshire Council and the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
Scotland.