Landowners are being reminded that the annual season for cutting hedges will come to a close next Wednesday, March 1.
Under the Wildlife Act, it is illegal to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing on any land not then cultivated or growing in any hedge or ditch, between March 1 and August 31 each year.
There is provision in the legislation for some restricted exemptions during the closed period, including for health and safety reasons, the destruction of noxious weeds and the clearance of of vegetation for road works.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the County and City Management Association (CCMA) said that overgrown hedgerows and roadside verges can result in road fatalities and serious injury collisions.
Properly maintained hedges also protect vulnerable road users who are not forced onto the road by overgrown hedges, the RSA said.
It also affords motorists a clear view of what is in front of them or around a bend, especially on local rural roads in the case of sightlines at junctions or obstructions to road signs.
Hedges
According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), hedges are of “exceptional importance” when it comes to providing food, shelter, habitats and corridors for maintaining wildlife diversity, particularly for birds, but also for other fauna and for wild plants.
The NPWS said that birds such as wrens, dunnocks, robins, thrushes and willow warblers, as well as many rarer species, depend greatly on hedgerow habitats.
In general, untrimmed, thorny hedgerows containing shrubs such as blackthorn, whitethorn, holly, briars and brambles are favoured by birds as they provide food, shelter, nesting places and protection from predators during the breeding season.
Suspected breaches of the annual hedge cutting ban are investigated by the NPWS and An Garda Síochána. The NPWS brought 40 prosecution cases in 2021 in relation to suspected breaches.
Deadline
Meanwhile, next Wednesday also marks the closing date for farmers to burn piles of bushes (agricultural waste) on their lands.
An extension to the regulations, which was previously rolled over five times, concluded on January 1 of this year, however, last month it was confirmed that it would resume and continue until March 1, 2023.
The timeframe for burning will then close, before re-opening for another two month period between September 1, and November 30, to allow farmers to deal with waste accumulated in the interim.