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Sligo farmers may withdraw access to their lands to protect them from gorse fires.
The farmers who own the 56 commonage shareholdings were all hit with punitive BPS penalties for the fires that raged across four mountains this time last year.
They are currently appealing the penalties through the Agricultural Appeals Office.
The fire began on Killery Mountain, which overlooks the lake Isle of Innisfree, made famous across the world by the WB Yeats poem.
It swiftly spread to Crossboy, Dromore and Castleore Mountains, with locals assisting the fire services to fight the fire and protect local houses in a two-day battle.
When the smoke cleared, the extent of the damage became apparent. The gardaí and fire inspectorate have not identified a cause or culprit, but farmers believe tourists to be responsible.
“They come up here in large numbers, as many as 60 a day, and they picnic and leave litter and bottles behind them,” one local farmer told the Irish Farmers Journal.
A bottle can spark off a bushfire when left in brush, reflecting light and as a heat source.
The land has been deemed ineligible, but farmers say they would never burn the hills in this area. “Controlled burning is a non-runner in this area. The only thing we can do is make sure the commonage is well stocked and eaten down.
“No one in their right mind would even think of ever lighting a fire.”
Penalties
The penalties imposed threaten the future of farming in the area. Farmers point out that any land sold is being planted for forestry.
“The stock coming off the hills are only store animals,” said another farmer from the area. “The BPS is basically the only income we have.
“We don’t want to be in this position. We like people coming to our area, it’s an economic stimulus.
“We can’t afford to be made carry the can for the hill fires. Unless the Agricultural Appeals Office reverses these penalties, we’ll have little option other than to protect our lands by restricting access to them.”
SHARING OPTIONS: