Habitat farmers call for new plan
PRESSURE is being put on Heritage Minister, Heathere Humphreys, to put in place a specific scheme for farmers who face severe restrictions due to designation and habitat restrictions.
A top level IFA delegation met with Minister Humphreys in Dublin to press for the new scheme, that would operate separately from the GLAS environmental package.
IFA SAC (Special Areas of Conservation) Project Team Chairman, Tom Turley, said that the problem had arisen since the abolition in 2010 of the NPWS (National Parks and Wildlife Service) Farm Plan Scheme.
This scheme had provided specific compensation for various habitat areas, separate to agri-environmental schemes.
One of the major issues that had arisen is the abolition in 2010 of the NPWS Farm Plan Scheme, which had provided specific compensation for various habitat areas, separate to agri-environment schemes.
IFA SAC Project Team Chairman Tom Turley called on the Minster to reinstate this approach and to put in place a specific scheme for various habitat areas, separate to the GLAS Scheme.
“It is only fair that farmers be compensated for restrictions placed on their lands and provided with a level of compensation that truly reflects the income loss and deals with the devaluation of property,” said Tom Turley.
He added that farmers who lived in areas with Hen Harriers restrictions in place had their properties seriously devalued with forestry ‘sterilised’ on those lands.
“An outcome that would allow appropriate developments to take place must be forthcoming at an early date and in particular the ban on afforestation must be removed and replaced with an assessment process,” said Tom Turley.
Flor McCarthy, IFA Rural Development Chairman said farmers carrying out fencing in designated mountain areas were being forced to seek planning permission and approval from the NPWS, leading to significant costs for hill farmers already on low incomes.
“IFA is proposing the NPWS should be able to sign off on fencing applications or should pay all costs associated with seeking planning permission,” said Mr. McCarthy.
At last week’s meeting, Minister Humphreys gave a commitment that the review of Hedge Cutting and Gorse Burning would be published in the next fortnight.
IFA are seeking a change to the burning date to the middle of April and a narrowing of the current hedge cutting prohibition period from April 1 to August 31.