also the rare blanket bog which covers a vast area of the mountains. Under an agreement between the EGN and the UNESCO Earth Sciences division in 2004, the park became part of the Global Network of National Geoparks (GGN) scheme and was renamed Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark. In 2008 the park boundaries were extended across the border into parts of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland, making it the first international Geopark in the world. Conservation issues The cutting of turf has led to damage in the area. Extensive drainage in parts of the bog has damaged the bog's ability to retain water, resulting in flooding and abnormally high water levels in the caves downstream. This has impeded tourist activity in the past, notably in 1989 when the impact of such damage influencing cave water levels first became evident. As a protective measure, turf cutting has been banned within the wider Geopark. In addition more than 1200 small dams have been put in place across the bogland to slow water flow and encourage the growth of new bog. Another problem is that human interference can cause the limestone to be damaged or eroded. In a particular case in 1984, a group of vandals broke into the show cave before it was opened to the public and threw stones at some of the calcite formations around the entrance. Many small stalactites were snapped off at their bases, while the tip of the largest stalactite in the show cave (over in length) was broken off. This tip fell onto a sandbank on the cave floor where it was retrieved the next day by a workman. It was then sent to the Ulster Museum in Belfast where a calcite resin was specially produced and subsequently used to stick the tip back onto its original position. Resources See also Cuilcagh Mountain Park Cladagh Glen Nature Reserve List of caves in the United Kingdom :Category:Caves of Northern Ireland Notes References Cited sources and further reading External links Official web site for the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark Marble Arch Caves Earth Science Conservation Review. (National Museums Northern Ireland) Map of the Marble Arch system (2010). Marble Arch Project. Original video footage from connection between Marble Arch and Prod's Pot/Cascades systems (2010). Marble Arch Project. Limestone caves Show caves in the United Kingdom Caves of Northern Ireland Tourist attractions in County Fermanagh Landforms of