ACRES: 2nd application window for 'Landscape Actions' now open
The second application window for 'Landscape Actions' within the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is now open.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Landscape Actions are "targeted measures" that focus on issues such as invasive species management, encroaching scrub, threatened species and water quality protection.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, said today (Wednesday, February 11) that participants in the Co-operation approach of ACRES are able to "address specific environmental issues through landscape-scale actions".
According to the minister although the implementation of Landscape Actions "will benefit the overall environment or landscape”, their implementation should also assist participants "to improve the habitat quality of their land, which will become evident when that land is assessed and scored under ACRES, thereby resulting in a higher payment.”
DAFM has detailed that Landscape Actions should target environmental issues, which have been highlighted in the scorecards for results-based payments and are causing a reduction in the score achieved.
The department also stated that the targeted implementation of these actions should improve the results-based score achieved on that field/commonage in coming years leading to an increased payment.
ACRES
The Minister said he was pleased that the second application window for Landscape Actions had been opened in early 2026 - which he said was "promptly after the issue of the decision letters last month in respect of applications submitted in the first application window".
“Applications for Landscape Actions are submitted by the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Teams on behalf of participants in their respective areas.
"I therefore encourage ACRES Co-operation participants to engage with the ACRES CP Team in their area to explore the opportunities and the potential benefits available to them in the form of Landscape Actions," Minister Heydon added.
Application window
The first Landscape Actions application window was from July 18, 2025 to September, 30 2025.
Decision letters on the applications submitted in that period were issued to participants last month.
The second application window opened today and no closing date for applications has yet been set.
According to DAFM it is currently proposed that the third application window for Landscape Actions will open in the third quarter of 2026.
