Framework Plan Review

By Catherine Keena

Following a review of the Framework Plan, Galway farmers in the Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex and Maumturk Mountains special areas of conservation and commonages must farm to a REPS or NPWS Farm Plan for a minimum of five years from 1 November 2008.

Additional actions

All farmers, including REPS participants, must introduce a sustainable stocking or grazing regime for the farm to include the full commonage destocking rate as set out in the framework plans. They must manage the stocking intensity on the commonage lands and on adjacent unenclosed land at sustainable levels. All sheep must be removed from the commonage from 15 November to 15 January and from 14 February to 13 May inclusive each year. Where it is not possible to remove all sheep for these periods due a lack of non commonage lands or housing, a stocking rate must be calculated to ensure a sustainable grazing level throughout the year.

REPS

Existing REPS plans must be amended by 1 November. Farmers intending to join REPS4 must submit a REPS4 plan and form 12 Bens/Maumturks 1 to the local Department of Agriculture by 1 October. This date may extend to 1 November for the REPS plan. REPS farmers will be compensated separately by the National Parks and Wildlife Service for actions now necessary, over and above, the original Framework Plan requirements.

New planned stocking levels must be reached by 1 November 2009 at the latest.