AQW 18443/17-22
Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim
Tabled Date: 05/05/2021
Answered On Date: 20/05/2021
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the steps taken, and planned, to restore heathlands in Northern Ireland.
Answer:
My Department has a range of measures in place to restore, maintain and protect heathlands in Northern Ireland. The Environmental Farming Scheme offers support to farmers and land managers to maintain and enhance the environmental quality of various heathland habitats through appropriate management regimes. Previous agri-environment schemes also offered similar support. In addition to support for the maintenance and restoration of heathlands through EFS, my Department also works closely with key stakeholders on the implementation of an INTERREG Va project for managing sensitive heathland habitats at Cuilcagh Mountain SAC. My Department is planning to support further restoration activities through the development of the PEACE+ programme, which aims to build on this work and expand through Nature Recovery Networks. My Department is also developing a series of Conservation Management Plans which aim to identify the habitat types across the majority of the Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) within Northern Ireland. After assessing pressures and threats and close engagement with key stakeholders, these plans will outline the necessary conservation measures for maintenance and restoration of habitat types, including heathlands. The Department also ensures protection of Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI), including those with heathlands, through a permitting process under the Environment Order (NI) 2002. Furthermore, advice and Environment Fund support is enabling conservation work in uplands. The Department’s Management of Sensitive Sites (MOSS) Scheme also delivers management to improve the condition of a range of habitats and species within ASSIs, including recent work on heathland habitats. A significant area of heathland was impacted by the recent fire in the Mournes. My officials have instigated an assessment of the environmental damage caused to the protected habitats of the Mournes. This will provide recommendations on restoration. NIEA Natural Environment Division (NED) provides grant aid through the Environment Fund (EF) for not-for-profit organisations to work in partnership to support and undertake habitat management including heathland management. This has included funding to Mourne Heritage Trust and recently to the Woodland Trust to acquire substantial land holdings at Cave Hill, Co. Antrim, and subsequently manage them for the benefit of nature conservation. An EF Environmental Challenge Fund is currently open for applications and includes opportunities for funding of priority habitats including heathland projects. In addition, the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations protect heathlands by requiring farmers and landowners to apply to my Department for permission, above certain thresholds, before altering the use or management of areas of uncultivated or semi-natural land. Furthermore, my Department’s Cross-Compliance rules also aim to ensure protection of heathlands through a range of measures, including the prevention of over-grazing, poaching and soil erosion. Looking forward, my officials are working with farmers and land managers, agricultural industry representatives and environmental stakeholders to co-design a future agri-environment scheme. The scheme will help farmers to deliver a range of environmental outcomes, including improvements in water and air quality, biodiversity in a range of habitats, including heathlands, and reductions in carbon emissions.
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