Page 48 - Council Journal Winter 2019

FEATURE Benefits of Tree Retention, Protection and Legislation
In addition, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under CAP, reminds farmers and advisors that hedgerows, treelines and drains/ditches are designated as landscape features under Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC).
Recently, Clare County Council have produced several useful guides on tree including :
Small pockets of ancient woodland still remain in the County for example, under Mullaghmore in the Burren. Many of these woodlands are protected areas for their habitat and amenity value.
Under GAEC 7 beneficiaries are obliged to retain and maintain designated landscape features including:
• County Clare Tree Design Guide for Towns and Villages, 2017 - https://www.clarecoco. ie/services/arts-recreation/ publications/tree-design-guide- for-towns-and-villages-in-co- clare-2017-28115.pdf
The high amenity value of woodlands is recognised as is their contribution to landscape diversity, habitat and carbon sink value.
• Hedgerows, including gappy hedgerows;
• Survey of Tree in Towns and Villages, 2015 - http:// clareppn.ie/wp-content/ uploads/2019/02/survey-of- trees-in-towns-and-villages-of- county-clare-22398.pdf
Townscapes and landscapes generally benefit from the presence of trees as they soften the line of buildings, contribute to a sense of place, act as wildlife habitats and corridors and provide scale to buildings and streets.
• Trees in a line, i.e. treelines;
• Drains and ditches; and,
• Combinations of hedge, drain
and the area within a fence.
• Buds of the Banner – a Guide to Growing Native Trees and Shrubs in Clare, 2007 - http:// www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/ coclare/heritage/pdfs/buds_of_ the_banner.pdf
They also filter out noise, dust and pollutants. Plant and soil cover act as an important carbon sink, retain moisture and prevent flooding. Hedgerows have been an important feature of the landscape in County Clare for centuries.
Field boundaries including hedgerows, stone walls and clay banks are protected under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations (EIA) S.I. 456 of 2011 (as amended by S.I. No. 142 of 2013 and S.I. No. 407 of 2017). Therefore, any proposed land restructuring works may need screening and approval by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the EIA regulations.
Case Study: Example of a County Development Plan - Clare County Development Plan 2017-2023
• Guidelines for Incorporating Landscape Features into Development, 2006 - http:// www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/ coclare/heritage/pdfs/ Guidelines_for_Incorporating_ Landscape_Features_into_ Development.pdf
Woodland habitats in County Clare include oak, ash and hazel woodland, wet woodland, scrub and hedgerow.
They provide a habitat for many species and act as wildlife corridors for animals to move between one area and another.
Hazel woodland with Bluebells in Springtime.
48 Council Journal
Woodlands, Trees and Hedgerows
a To preserve and conserve individual or groups of trees identified in Volume 2 of this
County Development Plan (Section 14.17) - It is an objective of Clare County Council: