Editing Northern Ireland Environment Agency

{{Short description|Northern Irish executive agency}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2021}}
[[File:Northern Ireland Environment Agency (logo).gif|thumb|right]]

The '''Northern Ireland Environment Agency''' ('''NIEA''') is an [[executive agency]] within the [[Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs]] (DAERA). It is responsible for [[Conservation ethic|conservation]] of [[Northern Ireland]]'s environment and natural heritage.

Originally part of the [[Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)|Department of the Environment]] (DOENI), the agency was called the '''Environment and Heritage Service''' (EHS) until 1 July 2008, and also had responsibility for the historic environment. On 16 May 2016 the DOENI was dissolved and NIEA became part of DAERA. At the same time, the historic environment functions of NIEA were transferred to the [[Department for Communities]].

NIEA is responsible for a range of protected areas in Northern Ireland, including eight [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|areas of outstanding natural beauty]], 47 [[national nature reserve (United Kingdom)|national nature reserves]], 43 [[Special Area of Conservation|special areas of conservation]], and 10 [[special protection area]]s. The NIEA employs 630 people as of 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Ireland Environment Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2019-2020 |url=https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/daera/NIEA%20Annual%20Report%20%26%20Accounts%202019-20_0.PDF |publisher=Northern Ireland Environment Agency |access-date=10 August 2021}}</ref>

== Equivalent bodies in other parts of the United Kingdom==
* [[England]]: [[Environment Agency]], [[Natural England]] 
* [[Scotland]]: [[NatureScot]], [[Scottish Environment Protection Agency]]
* [[Wales]]: [[Natural Resources Wales]]

== See also ==
* [[List of Northern Ireland ministers, government departments and executive agencies]]
* [[Conservation in the United Kingdom]]
* [[NetRegs]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}

[[Category:Northern Ireland coast and countryside]]
[[Category:Northern Ireland Executive]]
[[Category:Conservation in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Environment of Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Environmental agencies in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Interested parties in planning in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Regulators of Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Environmental protection agencies]]