Farmers will be paid to rewild land on a small scale by the Department of Heritage, the Irish Farmers Journal can reveal.
The Department will support rewilding options which support biodiversity and habitat creation, documents from the Department show.
It has defined small scale as one hectare of land. The Department will “actively promote and support farm forestry/rewilding options that do not affect agricultural production and support biodiversity and habitat creation.
“We will incentivise the option of small-scale (eg 1ha) forestry/rewilding,” it said.
The Department will also review the protection, including the enforcement of relevant legislation, of the country’s natural heritage, including hedgerows, native woodland and wetlands.
Land use plan
As was contained in the programme for government, a review is to be carried out of national land use including farmland, forests and peatlands “so that optimal land use options inform all relevant Government decisions”.
Policy co-benefits, such as rewetting or forest regrowth to mitigate flooding risks in river catchments will be considered
The review will balance environmental, social and economic considerations and involve a process of evaluation of the ecological characteristics of the land, according to the Department.
“It will include consideration of emissions to air and water, carbon sequestration, as well as climate adaptation challenges.
“Policy co-benefits, such as rewetting or forest regrowth to mitigate flooding risks in river catchments will be considered. All stakeholders will be consulted.
“Such a review would allow knowledge transfer to policy makers, advisory services and landowners, to assist farmers in making an informed choice as to how best to use their land while also benefiting from available supports and incentives,” it said.
Biodiversity survey
The Department will also carry out a “baseline biodiversity survey on every farm” to inform future policy development and is to complete a national hedgerow survey. This was part of the programme for government talks earlier this year.
Department documents also show that the National Parks and Wildlife Service is to be reviewed.
Read more
Call for proposals for farm rewetting scheme
The unintended climate consequences of draining peat soils
Farmers will be paid to rewild land on a small scale by the Department of Heritage, the Irish Farmers Journal can reveal.
The Department will support rewilding options which support biodiversity and habitat creation, documents from the Department show.
It has defined small scale as one hectare of land. The Department will “actively promote and support farm forestry/rewilding options that do not affect agricultural production and support biodiversity and habitat creation.
“We will incentivise the option of small-scale (eg 1ha) forestry/rewilding,” it said.
The Department will also review the protection, including the enforcement of relevant legislation, of the country’s natural heritage, including hedgerows, native woodland and wetlands.
Land use plan
As was contained in the programme for government, a review is to be carried out of national land use including farmland, forests and peatlands “so that optimal land use options inform all relevant Government decisions”.
Policy co-benefits, such as rewetting or forest regrowth to mitigate flooding risks in river catchments will be considered
The review will balance environmental, social and economic considerations and involve a process of evaluation of the ecological characteristics of the land, according to the Department.
“It will include consideration of emissions to air and water, carbon sequestration, as well as climate adaptation challenges.
“Policy co-benefits, such as rewetting or forest regrowth to mitigate flooding risks in river catchments will be considered. All stakeholders will be consulted.
“Such a review would allow knowledge transfer to policy makers, advisory services and landowners, to assist farmers in making an informed choice as to how best to use their land while also benefiting from available supports and incentives,” it said.
Biodiversity survey
The Department will also carry out a “baseline biodiversity survey on every farm” to inform future policy development and is to complete a national hedgerow survey. This was part of the programme for government talks earlier this year.
Department documents also show that the National Parks and Wildlife Service is to be reviewed.
Read more
Call for proposals for farm rewetting scheme
The unintended climate consequences of draining peat soils
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