After LIFE

Having completed our Raptor Life Programme in 2019, we are committed to implementing the afterlife plan, a requirement of the programme. The AfterLIFE plan is the final output for the project “Connecting and restoring habitats for Hen harrier, Merlin, Atlantic salmon and Brook lamprey ” and provides a guide to the ongoing management of the sites implemented during the lifetime of the project. Table 1 outlines the work we are committed to and have been undertaking since the official completion of the project.

Table 1

Creating awareness amongst schoolchildren – This was an integral part of the LIFE project and we continue to do workshop and camps with young people in the region.

Measure Strategy for AfterLIFE measures and stakeholders

Scots pine IRD Duhallow , RSS/Tús/students to monitor progress of trees Heather management IRD Duhallow, RSS/Tús/students to monitor recovery Merlin baskets IRD Duhallow, RSS/Tús/students to monitor/maintain baskets Farm measures IRD Duhallow, RSS/students to monitor recovery, mow/mulch as required on farms with Molinia/rush acc. to best practice Road invasives IRD Duhallow, RSS/Tús/students to continue follow up survey and treat/monitor road invasives Riparian Himalayan IRD Duhallow, RSS/Tús/students/volunteers to balsam continue to eradicate/monitor Himalayan balsam on project rivers Riparian Japanese IRD Duhallow, RSS/Tús/students to continue to knotweed treat/monitor Japanese knotweed on project rivers Regenerating conifers IRD Duhallow, RSS/Tús/students/volunteers to continue to monitor/remove any further regenerating conifers in areas cleared during the project Engage with IRD Duhallow to continue to engage with volunteers/public students/volunteers to train/encourage for bird monitoring train/encourage bird monitoring Fish stock survey IFI to continue to conduct fish stock surveys Creating awareness IRD Duhallow to continue to inform/educate amongst children awareness amongst school children Website IRD Duhallow to continue to update website with any relevant news

Project Objectives

This project aimed to restore habitat through an integrated network of actions across important Natura 2000 sites for Hen harrier and other species. IRD Duhallow ’ s unique position as a rural development company, directly working with the local communities of Duhallow placed it in a very strong position to bring the local community on board and ensure the project’ s success in both the short term and long term. RaptorLIFE made numerous improvements to the Upper Blackwater SAC (including the River Owentaraglin catchment). 28.9km of river has been fenced and vulnerable eroding banks planted and the provision of 88 alternative drinkers. Himalayan balsam has been manually removed and reduced on 126.2 km of riverbank. Japanese knotweed has been eradicated and reduced on 83.3km of riverbank. Invasives has been treated and reduced on an excess of over 300km of road network, these being vector routes to the river catchment. Water quality was also improved by the clearing of conifers (13.6ha) on the juvenile River Blackwater, connecting two Natura 2000 sites. This clearing also provided a foraging corridor for Hen harrier. In addition, the project has further enhanced the SPA for Hen harriers and other raptors by improving 24.3ha of heather cover, implementing a range of actions on 6 project farms, clearing regenerating conifers from 33.8ha. 31 Merlin nesting baskets were also erected and 50 Scots pine trees were planted to provide nesting for Merlin.

Stakeholder Engagement Landowners

Landowners and farmers both in the SAC and the SPA have been an integral part of the RaptorLIFE project. Their engagement varied from farmers participating in a range of specific actions as Project farms, to farmers having their lands fenced back from the river and restricting the cattle from entering the river, to farmers allowing access across their lands to treat invasives/monitoring the target species.

We have had numerous volunteers, including qualified people to students, to the general public from the local area to those from far away. These volunteers have provided support in a variety of project actions from data recording, Himalayan balsam removal, surveys, Hen harrier/Merlin monitoring. They have assisted in the project for experience or quite simply because of the value/importance they have placed on the work they were carrying out.

The success of the project and its actions relied on this engagement of landowners, state agencies and the local communities. This relationship of respect with the various relevant stakeholders with IRD Duhallow preceded and benefitted the project. IRD Duhallow merited this trust from the stakeholders through its previous environment projects and with its thirty years of bottom up development approach.

Eradicating Japanese knotweed on the rivers. If left untreated it dies back in winter leaving exposed banks vulnerable to erosion, causing siltation of the substrate, which in turn causes unfavourable habitat for the endangered Freshwater pearl mussel and spawning habitat for salmon and lamprey.

Planting native Scots pine for potential nest sites for Merlin.

Treating Japanese knotweed on the roads. The invasives on the roads are vector routes for the rivers, sometimes entering drains or streams and finally into the main watercourse causing habitat damage for annexed species.

Volunteers Hen harrier monitoring. Gathering data on these endangered species is crucial to find out species population levels.