Farmers in the west and northwest are to be paid to rewet bogs, plant native trees and carry out certain grazing management on 225,552ha of blanket bog as part of a new €20.6m scheme.

The Wild Atlantic Nature Life project, a nine-year scheme, will see farmers with blanket bog in 24 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) paid to restore the bog.

Farmers in Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo and Galway, mostly in the uplands, are being targeted in the scheme. The aim is to reverse the decline of blanket bog and associated habitats and species such as the curlew and freshwater pearl mussel.

The scheme is a voluntary results-based payments scheme, will be linked to the quality of the habitat? and farmers will be scored out of 10 for the quality of their habitat.

Dr Derek McLoughlin, project manager for the scheme, told the Irish Farmers Journal that it is hoped that lowland areas adjacent to the hills will be eligible for the scheme too. He said there is much to be “ironed out yet” and that it’s too early to say how much farmers will be paid for taking part.

BPS payments

There should be “no risk” to farmers’ Basic Payment Scheme or Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) payments, he said.

“There’s always a call from farm organisations that what farmers are delivering already [for the environment] isn’t accounted for and it ought to be acknowledged.

“These payments will reflect the ecological quality of these lands and farmers can improve their scores on the back of advice,” he said.

Actions will include:

  • Control of invasive species, especially rhododendron.
  • Installation and maintenance of dams to reactivate peatlands.
  • Control of natural regeneration of trees and shrubs.
  • Developing appropriate grazing management.
  • Pilot non-commercial restocking with native trees.
  • Post-Brexit, Ireland will be the only EU member state with significant representation of Atlantic blanket bog habitat, so making an improvement in its conservation status is an important objective from the EU perspective.

    The 24 sites under the scheme

    Connemara Bog Complex SAC - Galway

    The Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex SAC - Galway

    Maumturk Mountains SAC - Galway

    Sonnagh Bog SAC - Galway

    Rosroe Bog SAC- Galway

    Owenduff/Nephin Complex SAC- Mayo

    Bellacorick Bog Complex SAC- Mayo

    Mweelrea/Sheeffry/Erriff Complex SAC - Mayo

    Glenamoy Bog Complex SAC -Mayo

    Ox Mountains Bogs SAC -Mayo, Sligo

    Arroo Mountain SAC - Leitrim

    Lough Hoe Bog SAC - Mayo, Sligo

    Lough Nabrickkeagh Bog SAC - Sligo

    Cloghernagore Bog and Glenveagh National Park SAC - Donegal

    Slieve Tooey/Tormore Island/Loughros Beg Bay SAC - Donegal

    Slieve League SAC - Donegal

    Tamur Bog SAC - Donegal

    Coolvoy Bog SAC - Donegal

    Lough Golagh and Breesy Hill SAC - Donegal

    Meenaguse/Ardbane Bog SAC - Donegal

    Lough Nillan Bog (Carrickatlieve) SAC - Donegal

    Meentygrannagh Bog SAC - Donegal

    Croaghonagh Bog SAC- Donegal

    Dunragh Loughs/Pettigo Plateau SAC - Donegal