Over €1.16 million paid out for Supporting Actions in the Hen Harrier Project

Acres CP on June 19, 2023

Payments to farmers for Actions delivered in the Hen Harrier Project are now almost complete. A preliminary assessment shows that over €1,16 million was paid in respect of 4,089 separate supporting actions delivered by farmers in the Hen Harrier Project. A large portion of this money was paid in respect of infrastructure actions such as fencing, gates and the supply of water for livestock. These are key investments that enable the farmer to do deliver better habitats through improved management. These investments were co-funded by the Hen Harrier Project, matched by an equivalent amount from the farmers themselves. This investment contributed to the increase in scores observed over the term of the project.

Other actions were direct wildlife supports or habitat enhancement actions such as planting wild bird cover crops, new hedgerows, or warder scrapes. These actions which improved habitat quality or supported wildlife were 100% funded by the Hen Harrier Project.

The lessons learned in this process, what worked and what did not have informed the development of the Co-operation stream of ACRES. The experience gained had helped us develop the capacity to implement comprehensive screening of actions at a large scale. This will help ensure that actions are delivered at appropriate locations and greatly reduce the regulatory burden on the farmer in respect of actions in NATURA designated areas.

ACRES Co-operation will require the planning, approval, delivery, and payment for many thousands of actions. With a planned 20,000 participant in ACRES Co-operation and a minimum of €3,500 available per farmer per year, the number of actions will be huge. Without the lessons learned in the Hen Harrier Project something on this scale could not be attempted.

Action Type                                                                 Payment

Access Track – Upgrade 40,506.26
Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme 2,100.00
Culvert 10,531.50
Fencing 585,107.09
Fill/ Hardcore 220.00
Flail Cutting 10,790.00
Gates 171,626.00
Water Piping 13,113.52
Linear Strips of Wild Bird Cover 158,800.98
Mains Fencers 77.50
Rainwater Harvesting Systems 895.08
Water Storage and Concrete base 648.50
Misc. Action Well drilling 2,716.00
Misc. Line Deer proof fencing 400.00
Misc. Actions 10,236.00
Ponds 7,000.00
Pasture Pumps 2,975.00
Pheasant Feeders. 720.00
Planting new Hedgerows 71,900.75
Planting Willow Firebreaks 2,430.00
Ram Pump 250.00
Scrub Rides 8,897.47
Submersible Pumps 487.80
Solar Powered Chargers for electric fences 8,500.00
Solar Powered Pumps 14,413.00
Water Storage Tanks 1,800.00
Sump 300.00
Wader Scrapes 600.00
Water Tanks 1,800.00
Water Trough 33,583.50
Willow Fire Break 2,430.00
Total 1,165,855.95
  • This list does not include actions on commonage lands or experimental actions paid for  using our Local Actions fund.
  • The Local Actions Fund  was also used to pay for additional Wild Bird Cover Actions where the Project Team approached individual participant and asked them to put in a crop to fill gaps in supply of this action in key areas.

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