Northern Ireland Environment Agency

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The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is a Northern Ireland Executive conservation agency within the Department of the Environment. Unlike the equivalent bodies in England, Scotland and Wales, it aims to promote and conserve both the natural environment and the built environment and to promote their appreciation by present and future generations.

Northern Ireland has 9 areas of outstanding natural beauty, 47 national nature reserves, 43 special areas of conservation, and 10 special protection areas.

There are 181 scheduled monuments in state care in Northern Ireland, and around 1,700 scheduled monuments in total.

Prior to 1 July 2008, the agency was called the Environment and Heritage Service.

Equivalent bodies in other parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland

• Environment Agency
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
• Natural England and English Heritage
• Scottish Natural Heritage and Historic Scotland
• Countryside Council for Wales and Cadw
• Office of Public Works (Republic of Ireland)

See also

• List of Government departments and agencies in Northern Ireland
• List of Conservation topics
• Conservation in the United Kingdom
• Castles in Northern Ireland
• Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland
• List of museums in Northern Ireland
• Historic houses in Northern Ireland
• NetRegs