This tender seeks a suitable contractor to run a community led project which aims to develop and demonstrate a rhododendron control programme for the entire Bundorragha Catchment Co Mayo

Tender description

Bundorragha catchment, County Mayo, a priority freshwater pearl mussel catchment with extensive areas of high quality peatland and upland habitats. It is envisaged that this approach will provide an example of how similar projects can be run elsewhere. • The total catchment area covers 4,065ha of lands which comprise a mix of privately owned land and commonage. • The target area is one of the top eight catchments in Ireland for extant populations of freshwater pearl mussel and up to 90% of farmers within this area participate in the Pearl Mussel Project (PMP) European Innovation Partnership (EIP), a Results-based Agri-environment Payment Scheme (RBPS). Lands within the PMP programme are subject to annual assessment in relation to habitat quality. Of the agricultural lands assessed in the programme, approximately 487ha (ca 12%) is recorded as being in sub-optimal condition due to the presence of the non-native invasive species, Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum). The maturity and density of the Rhododendron varies throughout this area from sparsely distributed immature seedlings to dense thickets of mature plants. • Although the majority of the lands within the Bundorragha catchment is within the Natura 2000 network (Special Area of Conservation (SAC)), all lands have potential ecological connection with Natura 2000 lands or water courses. • In collaboration with the local community and relevant stakeholders, the successful tenderer will work towards developing a control programme for Rhododendron at the catchment level. • As part of this project the implementation of the programme will be tested within a sample area that can develop the most suitable control techniques across typical scenarios where rhododendron occurs, e.g. varying densities and locations. This pilot study will provide empirical evidence to inform the approaches to implementing the catchment wide plan, including the costing of this plan. Scope The project will be delivered in two phases. Phase 1 will involve the preparation and tes