Our disappearing hedgerows

Sir, – We represent a broad alliance of organisations brought together by a common goal, to protect and enhance our vital hedgerow corridors.

Our groups span a wide spectrum of interests: farmers and landowners, fishermen and hunters, environmentalists and beekeepers. We are united by concern and frustration. Because of inaction and mismanagement by policymakers, our beautiful landscape is being steadily destroyed by the ongoing unjustified removal of thousands of kilometres of hedgerows annually.

The benefits of hedgerows are legion. In addition to their value for agriculture these include: massive sequestration of carbon, our single most important reservoir for biodiversity and wildlife including pollinators, flood control, pollution filtration and nutrient buffering, landscape definition and beauty.

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 Common Agricultural Policy scheme payments have missed key opportunities to incentivise good hedgerow management.

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Unfortunately, and against all current research advice, upwards of 3,000 kilometres 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.

What is needed now is firstly an immediate reduction of the current 500-metre hedgerow removal limit pending the outcome of the promised review by the Department of Agriculture. Secondly, farm payments should reward landowners for maintaining and improving the quality of existing hedgerows as well as the planting of new hedges.

We have written to Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue requesting an early meeting to discuss these proposals in more detail. – Yours, etc,

ELAINE McGOFF,

An Taisce;

SADHBH O’NEILL,

Researcher in climate

and environmental policy,

ANN LONERGAN,

National Advisory

Committee,

Irish Countrywomen’s

Association;

AOIFE NIC GIOLLA CODA,

Native Irish Honey

Bee Society;

DONAL LEHANE,

Federation of Irish

Beekeepers;

FERGAL ANDERSON,

Talamh Beo;

BRENDAN DUNFORD,

Burrenlife Project;

DONAL SHEEHAN,

Biodiversity Regeneration

in a Dairying Environment

Project;

NIAMH ROCHE,

Bat Conservation Ireland;

DEREK CAGNEY,

Munster Regional

Trout Angling Council,

THERESIA

GUSCHLBAUER,

SuirCan

Environmental CLG;

SEAN OWENS,

Irish Doctors

for the Environment;

JAMES NORTON,

Irish Masters

of Foxhounds Association;

DOUG McMILLAN,

Green Restoration Ireland;

JOHN DIAMOND,

KIERAN HANRAHAN,

Sea Angling Ireland;

MANCHÁN MAGAN,

journalist and author;

COLIN STAFFORD

JOHNSON,

Wildlife cameraman

and film-maker,

MICK KELLY,

Grow It Yourself Waterford;

JOHN BUTLER,

National Association

of Regional Game Councils;

PADRAIC FOGARTY,

Irish Wildlife Trust;

JOE GOWRAN,

Woodlands of Ireland;

ALAN MOORE,

Hedgerows Ireland,

Fethard,

Co Tipperary.