Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has been warned that upwards of 3,000km of hedgerow is being removed in rural Ireland annually.
A group led by Hedgerows Ireland and including nature, biodiversity and woodland stakeholders made the claim in a letter sent to the Minister.
The letter comes ahead of a protest planned by the group outside Leinster House for midday on Wednesday.
Protesters are to seek policy changes which would reduce the current 500m limit for which permission is not required for hedgerow removal. Hedgerows Ireland is seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister on the matter.
Hedgerows Ireland says farmers, landowners, fishermen, hunters, environmentalists and beekeepers are “united by concern and frustration”.
“Because of inaction and mismanagement by policy makers, our beautiful landscape is being steadily destroyed by the ongoing unjustified removal of thousands of kilometres of hedgerows annually,” said a spokesperson.
3,000km of hedgerow is being removed in rural Ireland annually, Hedgerows Ireland claims.
The group spokesperson said the benefits of hedgerows are legion, including the “massive sequestration of carbon”, as an “important reservoir for biodiversity and wildlife including pollinators”, for flood control, pollution filtration and nutrient buffering.
Rules
“Representatives from our groups have been lobbying Government ministers and the Department of Agriculture for three years to amend the rules around hedgerow removal and to simultaneously reward landowners for maintaining good-quality hedgerows through farm payment schemes. These recommendations have been ignored.
“Reviews of the rules have been promised, but with no dates or terms of reference. The new CAP scheme payments have missed key opportunities to incentivise good hedgerow management.
Farmers shouldn't be allowed to remove as much as 500m of hedgerow without permission, says Hedgerows Ireland.
“Unfortunately, and against all current research advice, upwards of 3,000km of hedgerows are still being removed annually by a small number of landowners who are facilitated under the current Department of Agriculture regulations to destroy up to half a kilometre of hedgerow without any assessment or permission.
“Research also shows that less than one third of remaining hedgerows are in good condition,” the letter to Minister McConalogue reads.
Signatories to the letter and participants in Wednesday’s protest include the Irish Countrywomen’s Association, the Native Irish Honey Bee Society, the Federation of Irish Beekeepers, the Burrenlife Project, Bat Conservation Ireland, Green Restoration Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust and Woodlands of Ireland.
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Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has been warned that upwards of 3,000km of hedgerow is being removed in rural Ireland annually.
A group led by Hedgerows Ireland and including nature, biodiversity and woodland stakeholders made the claim in a letter sent to the Minister.
The letter comes ahead of a protest planned by the group outside Leinster House for midday on Wednesday.
Protesters are to seek policy changes which would reduce the current 500m limit for which permission is not required for hedgerow removal. Hedgerows Ireland is seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister on the matter.
Hedgerows Ireland says farmers, landowners, fishermen, hunters, environmentalists and beekeepers are “united by concern and frustration”.
“Because of inaction and mismanagement by policy makers, our beautiful landscape is being steadily destroyed by the ongoing unjustified removal of thousands of kilometres of hedgerows annually,” said a spokesperson.
3,000km of hedgerow is being removed in rural Ireland annually, Hedgerows Ireland claims.
The group spokesperson said the benefits of hedgerows are legion, including the “massive sequestration of carbon”, as an “important reservoir for biodiversity and wildlife including pollinators”, for flood control, pollution filtration and nutrient buffering.
Rules
“Representatives from our groups have been lobbying Government ministers and the Department of Agriculture for three years to amend the rules around hedgerow removal and to simultaneously reward landowners for maintaining good-quality hedgerows through farm payment schemes. These recommendations have been ignored.
“Reviews of the rules have been promised, but with no dates or terms of reference. The new CAP scheme payments have missed key opportunities to incentivise good hedgerow management.
Farmers shouldn't be allowed to remove as much as 500m of hedgerow without permission, says Hedgerows Ireland.
“Unfortunately, and against all current research advice, upwards of 3,000km of hedgerows are still being removed annually by a small number of landowners who are facilitated under the current Department of Agriculture regulations to destroy up to half a kilometre of hedgerow without any assessment or permission.
“Research also shows that less than one third of remaining hedgerows are in good condition,” the letter to Minister McConalogue reads.
Signatories to the letter and participants in Wednesday’s protest include the Irish Countrywomen’s Association, the Native Irish Honey Bee Society, the Federation of Irish Beekeepers, the Burrenlife Project, Bat Conservation Ireland, Green Restoration Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust and Woodlands of Ireland.
Read more
Landowners reminded to cut overgrown roadside hedges by RSA
‘Wide variety’ of moths on all Irish farm types – EIP project
Key environmental benefits of ACRES
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