The general provisions of the Heritage Act 2018 in relation to the introduction of a two-year pilot period whereby roadside hedges may be cut during August will not be in force in 2018.

According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, any such cutting will require the making of regulations by the minister in the first instance. These regulations cannot be made this year. Therefore, the existing provisions in the Wildlife Acts on hedge cutting remain in force.

A lot of farmers are now looking into carrying out field work, reseeding and land reclamation. The annual question that pops up when this work arises is what are the rules regarding moving a hedge.

The Department says hedgerows and drains/ditches have been designated as landscape features under Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC).

Landscape features such as hedgerows may be removed, provided a replacement hedge of equal length is planted in advance of the removal. Hedgerows cannot be removed between 1 March and 31 August.

In the case of land designated as SAC or SPA, hedgerows or drains cannot be removed without the prior approval of the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Catch crops

With winter crop harvesting more or less finished up now, attention will be shifting to sowing catch crops.

Farmers sowing these crops through GLAS should be aware of the specifications they must follow to comply with the scheme.

The specifications are available on the Department’s website. The first thing to be aware of is that the crop should be established by 15 September. If favourable weather conditions continue, this should be achievable this year.

It must be established using light cultivation techniques, because ploughing is not permitted. The seed can be broadcast or drilled and there must be at least two species used.

A full list of the prescribed catch crop species permitted in the scheme is also available on the Department’s website.

The catch crops must remain in place from the date of sowing to 1 December annually. The crop can be grazed with livestock after 1 December.