Destruction of Wildlife Habitat 150 Years Old - Help!

deus ex machina 7

Hello everyone,

This is an emergency situation regarding a wildlife habitat of 150 years being destroyed by an individual for his own private grazing use.

The habitat, situated in a village in east Galway, is comprised of approximately 10 acres of land and is unique in that has been growing wild for more than 150 years. We are not sure if it is owned by anyone or if it is common land.

Primarily it has been, and still is, a fox cover but it is a rich and complex wildlife habitat. It has many species of trees, including ash, hawthorn, blackthorn, oak, sally, holly, and sycamore. It is home to a variety of animals including red squirrels, bats, badgers, foxes, hedgehogs, and stoats. The habitat is teeming with many species of wild birds.

About two weeks ago, a local farmer moved into the habitat with a JCB and began razing everything to the ground, destroying trees, vegetation, and the homes of all these animals and birds. He has already cleared away about two acres and had drawn about 10 loads of timber derived from the trees alone. It would appear that this individual's plan is to clear the whole habitat and make it into his own private grazing land.

The question is whether or not this is legal. As far as we are aware this unique habitat has never been designated a protected site. Neighbours are extremely upset at what is happening. Our greatest concern is about the wanton destruction of a habitat that is 150 years old.

What can be done? Do you have any suggestions? Could readers on this site help us please? Could you please copy this message and post it to any relevant sites you know. We need your help urgently.

Thank you.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It is impossible to advise without knowing the status of the property. You should contact NPWS and the local council's environment section.
Is sounds like a valuable environment but just how "unique" is dependent on many factors.

Capercaille

deus ex machina 7 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

This is an emergency situation regarding a wildlife habitat of 150 years being destroyed by an individual for his own private grazing use.

The habitat, situated in a village in east Galway, is comprised of approximately 10 acres of land and is unique in that has been growing wild for more than 150 years. We are not sure if it is owned by anyone or if it is common land.

Primarily it has been, and still is, a fox cover but it is a rich and complex wildlife habitat. It has many species of trees, including ash, hawthorn, blackthorn, oak, sally, holly, and sycamore. It is home to a variety of animals including red squirrels, bats, badgers, foxes, hedgehogs, and stoats. The habitat is teeming with many species of wild birds.

About two weeks ago, a local farmer moved into the habitat with a JCB and began razing everything to the ground, destroying trees, vegetation, and the homes of all these animals and birds. He has already cleared away about two acres and had drawn about 10 loads of timber derived from the trees alone. It would appear that this individual's plan is to clear the whole habitat and make it into his own private grazing land.

The question is whether or not this is legal. As far as we are aware this unique habitat has never been designated a protected site. Neighbours are extremely upset at what is happening. Our greatest concern is about the wanton destruction of a habitat that is 150 years old.

What can be done? Do you have any suggestions? Could readers on this site help us please? Could you please copy this message and post it to any relevant sites you know. We need your help urgently.

Thank you.

Probably clearing the area to transform the land into arable land and thus draw Single Farm Payment subsidy. Under new CAP rules land deemed not arable will not be able to get entitlements. Even my own area has seen 25 acres of scrub removed in last week, (holly, ash, oak, whitethorn, blackthorn and with scarce breeding whitethroat). You need to find out who owns the land. Ask the person who is clearing the area.

There is a huge drive by farmers at the moment in clearing scrub and draining land. The biggest destruction of habitat I have seen in my life. Pushed by CAP reforms, Government and IFA.

Harvest 2020 is a drive for increased agricultural production. With milk quotas going in the 2015, farmer are destroying vast areas non-arable land, (which happen to be the last refuges for wildlife) to increase production.

Birdnuts

I feel your pain bud. Unfortunately such things are a consequence of a perverse logic within the Dept of Agriculture that appears hell bent on forcing farmers to produce ever more agricultural commodities and sell them into a market that as it is barely provides a living wage for most farmers since the price they get for everything from beef to milk has fallen sharply in real terms for many years now. Harvest 2020 makes little economic sense in such an environment in terms of the best interests of the farming community. The big winners in all this are of course are big agri businesses like meat factories, dairy multinationals etc. who get their hands on raw materials that are being produced by farmers at barely cost price or even below. It is clearly an unsustainable situation that will prove very destructive for the rural environment and the family farm model which underpins the social fabric of the countryside.

recedite

You can sometimes get an idea of who owns what on www.landdirect.ie
Log in as a "guest". If the land is part of a bigger parcel of land, where there is a house, it might show that. If the land is not registered it does not mean ownership is in doubt, but just that it may not have been sold in modern times.

FF7 7777

How'd things go after?

Graces7

Capercaille wrote: »

Probably clearing the area to transform the land into arable land and thus draw Single Farm Payment subsidy. Under new CAP rules land deemed not arable will not be able to get entitlements. Even my own area has seen 25 acres of scrub removed in last week, (holly, ash, oak, whitethorn, blackthorn and with scarce breeding whitethroat). You need to find out who owns the land. Ask the person who is clearing the area.

There is a huge drive by farmers at the moment in clearing scrub and draining land. The biggest destruction of habitat I have seen in my life. Pushed by CAP reforms, Government and IFA.

Harvest 2020 is a drive for increased agricultural production. With milk quotas going in the 2015, farmer are destroying vast areas non-arable land, (which happen to be the last refuges for wildlife) to increase production.

This is happening over the river from me, large areas every year by the same famer. We understand it has to be licensed and supervised? The farmer concerned would not be open to any appeal but money. Before it was only fit for sheep and now he can graze cattle and grow hay. He still has some way to go so probably as soon as the weather is right back will come the digger

Graces7

Capercaille wrote: »

Probably clearing the area to transform the land into arable land and thus draw Single Farm Payment subsidy. Under new CAP rules land deemed not arable will not be able to get entitlements. Even my own area has seen 25 acres of scrub removed in last week, (holly, ash, oak, whitethorn, blackthorn and with scarce breeding whitethroat). You need to find out who owns the land. Ask the person who is clearing the area.

There is a huge drive by farmers at the moment in clearing scrub and draining land. The biggest destruction of habitat I have seen in my life. Pushed by CAP reforms, Government and IFA.

Harvest 2020 is a drive for increased agricultural production. With milk quotas going in the 2015, farmer are destroying vast areas non-arable land, (which happen to be the last refuges for wildlife) to increase production.

When I reread this. I had misread some. His land, his choice. I understand your reaction to some extent, but to some extent only. Where I live there is abundant scrub land that can barely support even sheep and small wonder owners are clearing it. Believe me there is abundant left which is not suitable for clearing but fine for wild life. The cleared areas near me now grow hay and graze cattle; grand so

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Graces7 wrote: »

This is happening over the river from me, large areas every year by the same famer. We understand it has to be licensed and supervised? The farmer concerned would not be open to any appeal but money. Before it was only fit for sheep and now he can graze cattle and grow hay. He still has some way to go so probably as soon as the weather is right back will come the digger

Graces7 wrote: »

When I reread this. I had misread some. His land, his choice. I understand your reaction to some extent, but to some extent only. Where I live there is abundant scrub land that can barely support even sheep and small wonder owners are clearing it. Believe me there is abundant left which is not suitable for clearing but fine for wild life. The cleared areas near me now grow hay and graze cattle; grand so

Sorry, I'm a bit confused here. Do you advocate the clearance or not? The OP situation is unclear, as he hasn't come back to us on the issue. The status of the area is critical in this discussion. What special conservation issues are at stake? Clearing some whin bushes to open some grazing that has become overgrown is very different to stripping out old mature native woodland, draining endangered wetland or distroying habit for threatened species of flora or fauna. I have no issue with a farmer improving his land but the issue here was whether it is a legal development or not. I know many farmers who have improved grazing areas but have, elsewhere, provided additional habit that is badly needed and much superior to the scrub they removed.

INPUT INNPUT

Asa Flat Keynote wrote: »

I know many farmers who have improved grazing areas but have, elsewhere, provided additional habit that is badly needed and much superior to the scrub they removed.

Really?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

INPUT INNPUT wrote: »

Really?

Absolutely! The latest has cleared whin from a corner of a field to improve grazing but has planted a native wood in another area of the farm along with putting a sizable pond in an area that was just soggy ground previous. New reed beds were also planted. Another cleared ground to level it for calf troughs etc while elsewhere is planting new hedgerows where wire fencing has stood for many years.