Landscape Actions approval letters begin issuing to ACRES farmers
Farmers in Ireland’s flagship agri-environment scheme will shortly begin work on large-scale actions aiming to improve the landscape in some of Ireland’s most environmentally-sensitive areas.
This follows today’s (Wednesday, January 28) announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon that Landscape Actions decision letters have begun issuing under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
Improving habitat quality
Making the announcement, the minister said Landscape Actions are "important complementary environmental actions" available under the ACRES Co-operation approach.
They are designed to address, among other issues, invasive species management and encroaching scrub management in species-rich grassland, threatened species and water quality protection, according to the minister.
"These actions help participants to improve the habitat quality of their land, which may in turn increase the score of that land, resulting in a higher payment," he explained.
“I was encouraged by the level of response to the first application window for Landscape Actions, which was open from mid-July 2025 to the end of September 2025.
"I am pleased that farmers whose applications for Landscape Actions have been approved will now be able to start undertaking those actions."
Positive impacts
Minister Heydon said the direct engagement of the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) teams with the scheme participants in the eight ACRES Co-operation areas has "helped those farmers to understand the way in which these Landscape Actions can help them, both individually and collectively".
Referring to their environmental ambition, Minister Heydon commented: “As Landscape Actions will be carried out in some of the most environmentally-sensitive areas of the country, an extensive environmental screening process was undertaken following the closing date for the applications.
"Farmers can now begin making these important approved interventions, which will have significant positive impacts on the environment."
Decision letters will be available on farmers’ MyAgFood accounts in the first instance, with a letter following in the post shortly thereafter, the minister added.
"Participants will also be getting a Landscape Approval summary from my department and a Landscape Action Site-Specific Plan from their ACRES CP team in the coming days," he said.
"The participants will then have all the necessary information available to them to start implementing the actions as and where approved."
