Following the threat of legal action from Europe, the final step in the formal designation of Galway’s Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) has begun.
From this week landowners are being notified by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs that each of the 15 SACs spread over 2,300 acres are to be designated by statutory instrument.
Formal designation does not place any additional requirements on landowners or users than already applied from the time these sites were first identified and proposed as SACs. The process does not create any additional SAC.
“Landowners were given the opportunity to lodge an objection at the initial time of the proposed designation.
“The boundary of the sites is now finalised and there is no appeal option at this stage,” explained a Department spokesman.
“Landowners who have queries in relation to the designation may speak to the local conservation ranger who will advise and allay some of their concerns or they can contact the Department’s office for further information.”
The Habitats Directive gave member states six years to designate protected areas under their national law – turning them from “Sites of Community Interest” (SCIs) into “Special Areas of Conservation” (SACs), and to adopt the required measures for improving the status of habitats and species present on these sites.
Last April the EU Commission issued a statement, pointing out Ireland had formally designated only a minor proportion of its SCIs as SACs following the expiration of the six-year period and had not established the required conservation objectives and conservation measures for all of the remaining sites.
“This significant gap in the compliance with the key obligations under the Habitats Directive prevents the sound protection and management of the sites and constitutes a major threat to an appropriate functioning and the coherence of the Natura 2000 network as a whole,” the statement read.
Giving Ireland two months to reply, the statement added that “if Ireland fails to act, the Commission may take the matter to the Court of Justice of the EU.”
Stretching over 18% of the EU’s land area and almost 6% of its marine territory, Natura 2000 is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world.
These fifteen sites are spread across County Galway and cover turloughs, woods, nature reserves and caves.
A map of each area has been sent to landowners or those renting the land.
They are Croaghill Turlough, Derrycrag Wood Nature Reserve in Woodford, Kiltartan Cave in Coole, Levally Lough in Kilgarriff, Pollnaknockaun Wood Nature Reserve in Woodford, Ballymaglancy Cave in Cong, Rosturra Wood in Ballynagar, Barnahallia Lough in Sillerna, Lough Nageeron, Tully Lough, Gortacarnaun Wood in Kilbeacanty, Drummin Wood in Kilbeacanty, Glenloughaun Esker, Cahermore Turlough and Carrowbaun, Newhall and Ballylee Turloughs in Kiltartan.
In most cases where lands are included in a SAC, farmers will not have to change their farming methods but will be requested to carry on in the traditional way.
Dúchas, the agency with responsibility for the designated sites, consults with farmers and advises them on the appropriate changes that may need to be made.
A landowner considering making changes on the farm that might affect wildlife habitat in a designated area must consult Dúchas beforehand.
But developments considered likely to cause significant damage to the wildlife importance of a designated site will not be allowed, except for “reasons of over-riding public interest, in the absence of any realistic alternative”, according to a department briefing document.
The farmer must notify the Department if using fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides near a protected water source, altering the river flow or removing trees or vegetation from within 30 metres of the riverbank.
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