burren LIFE

Project Actions

A range of diverse but complimentary Project Actions has been developed, including:

• Implementing best-known land management practices on 2,000ha of the Burren, including new feeding systems, redeployment of existing livestock and targeted scrub removal.
• Increasing understanding of the relationship between land management practices and the natural heritage of the Burren.
• Developing new support mechanisms for the sustainable management of the Burren habitats through research and advisory services, marketing initiatives, co-operative structures and the revision of existing agri-environmental schemes.
• Enhancing awareness and skills relating to the heritage of the Burren and its management through a range of practical initiatives aimed at empowering local communities.
• Disseminating information relating to the agricultural management of areas of high nature and cultural conservation value in Europe through literature and the media.

A. Preparatory Actions, Elaboration of Management Plans and/or of Action Plans

ACTION A.1: Compilation of Burren Land Use database

ACTION A.2: Site Selection and Farmer Liaison

ACTION A.3: Baseline Farm Survey

ACTION A.4: Drawing up Farm Management Plans and Contracts

B. Purchase/ Lease of Land and/or Rights

Not Applicable to the BurrenLIFE Project

C. Non-Recurring Management

ACTION C.1: Restore Damaged Areas

ACTION C.2: Enhance Livestock Management Facilities on Project Sites

ACTION C.3: Scrub Removal

ACTION C.4: Implement New Grazing Regimes (Priority Habitats) Through Stock Redeployment On A Site-by-Site Basis

ACTION C.5: Introduce New Supplementary Feeding Systems

ACTION C.6: Conduct Study on the Potential For Developing New Markets For Burren Produce

ACTION C.7: Revision of Existing Agri-environment Schemes

D. Recurring Management

ACTION D.1: Profiling of Agricultural Capacity of Burren Grasslands

ACTION D.2: Formulation of Appropriate Supplementary Feedstuff Rations

ACTION D.3: Purchase and Distribution of Concentrate Feedstuff to Farmers

ACTION D.4: Advisory, Compliance, Assessment and Information sharing visits

ACTION D.5: Review and repair livestock management facilities

ACTION D.6: Repeated scrub control assessments and re-treatments

ACTION D.7: Development of a Burren Agri-Environmental Co-operative

ACTION D.8: Annual Payment to Burren Farmers for Project Participation, Herding of Livestock and other works

E. Public Awareness and Dissemination of Results

ACTION E1: Initiate Lines of Communication With Similar EU Regions/ Projects

ACTION E.2: Website Development

ACTION E.3: Media Campaign

ACTION E.4: Educational Programme including Public Information meetings

ACTION E.5: Demonstration Farms

ACTION E.6: Conferences, seminars and workshops

ACTION E.7: Project Reporting

ACTION E.8: Publications and Presentations

ACTION E.9: Information Fact Sheets and promotional material

F. Overall Project Operation and Monitoring

ACTION F.1: Establishment and Operation of Project Advisory Group

ACTION F.2: Establishment of Project Headquarters

ACTION F.3: Employment of Project Team

ACTION F.4: Ongoing Environmental Surveys

ACTION F.5: Ongoing Agricultural Surveys

ACTION F.6: Ongoing Socio-economic Surveys

ACTION F.7: Collation of Project information on GIS database

ACTION F.8: Financial Management

ACTION F.9: Independent audit