Ireland's Uplands Community Study
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Uplands Cover single pages 18/05/2016 10:34 Page 1 Uplands Cover single pages 18/05/2016 10:34 Page 2 19 20 18 22 21 16 23 17 24 25 15 13 12 14 1 2 4 3 8 5 7 10 6 9 11 1 Howth Special Area Amenity Order (SAAO) 14 Binn Shléibhe Access Scheme 2 Dublin Mountains Partnership (DMP) 15 The Old Irish Goat Society 3 Wicklow Uplands Council (WUC) 16 Ballintrillick Environmental Group 4 Slieve Bloom Rural Development Society 17 Boleybrack Red Grouse & Upland Conservation Group 5 Blackstairs Farming Group 18 Drimarone Development Group 6 Munster Vales 19 Sliabh Sneacht Centre, Innishowen 7 Galtees Steering Group 20 Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust 8 Slieve Felim Upland Forum 21 Belfast Hills Partnership (BHP) 9 Ballyhoura Development 22 Sperrins Outdoor Recreation Forum (SORF) 10 Mount Brandon Nature Reserve 23 Knockatallon Development Company, Sliabh Beagh 11 MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Forum 24 Ring of Gullion, South Armagh 12 Leenane Development Association 25 Mourne Heritage Trust 13 Murrisk Development Association Irish Uplands Study Single page Qty 150 18/05/2016 11:17 Page 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS I NTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1 The Irish Uplands Forum (IUF) is a national voluntary body founded in 1995 to help sustain upland areas and communities in the face of unprecedented social, eco- XECUTIVE UMMARY 2. E S 2 nomic and environmental change. It draws membership from agriculture, environmental, academic, rural com- 3. METHODOLOGY 3 munity development, recreation, and tourism interests. The Forum is built on developing a partnership model to address rural upland decline. 4. SURVEY ANALYSIS 4 For the purposes of this Study upland communities refers to those residing 150m or more above sea level in 5. FINDINGS 11 recognised upland areas where the principal peaks are in excess of 300m. They tend to be semi-natural habitats above the upper limits of enclosed farmland often 6. RECOMMENDATIONS 22 formed by generations of farmers. The upland areas comprise roughly 14% of the land mass of the island but only possessing approximately 2% of the population. APPENDICES 25 These numbers are declining to the point that a further reduction down to 1% is conceivable within our life- Group Profiles 1-25 26 times. Many upland communities today are asking the Summary Sheets 75 question what impact will such a reduction have on services, infrastructure, the environment and landscape, Survey 77 economic activity, tourism, recreational usage and tradi- tional upland farming culture and practice. There are undoubtedly significant threats to this cornerstone of rural life. Are we possibly sleepwalking our way into the terminal decline of one of the landscapes that helps define our national character? We may currently be living through a tipping point. The purpose of this Research, the first of its kind, is to create a snap shot in time of where the most prominent and representative upland community groups are in rela- tion to the way they are organised, what they do and the obstacles they face. Significant engagement took place with twenty five projects over a five month period from October 2015 until early 2016 across the whole island. The list of participants is not totally comprehensive but hopefully the issues raised by the core sample are repre- sentative of all upland communities. The whole conversation around this project was marked by evidence of a massive commitment at individual group level to improve the quality of life and conserve this fragile environment for future generations. If pas- sion and intelligence alone could safeguard the uplands then they would be in a healthy place today ... sadly a multitude of factors paints a more complex picture which this Study hopes to capture and reflect upon. The Irish Uplands Forum acknowledges the support of the Heritage Council in making this project possible. 1 Irish Uplands Study Single page Qty 150 18/05/2016 11:17 Page 2 U PLANDS C OMMUNITY S TUDY Irish Upland Forum April 2016 2 Executive Summary Ireland’s uplands North and South comprise the users and expanding the recreational use of upland majority of Ireland’s most scenic and high nature environments. In short these groups have not waited for value farmland and provide the main attraction to most central government to address the environmental, social tourists and domestic recreational users. However in and economic disadvantage of their upland areas arising iconic upland landscapes such as Kerry, Connemara, from the decline of hill farming and poor prices for Mayo, Donegal, Mourne, Leitrim, Wicklow and the farm products, they are trying hard to find alternative Antrim Glens there is an ongoing crisis in the upland income sources to keep their communities viable, rural economy and environment that requires local schools and other essential local services open. management. This Study commissioned by the Irish The survival of most of these voluntary groups and Uplands Forum (IUF) and carried out late 2015 early their ability to plan properly is constantly endangered 2016 has profiled twenty-five local upland community through a lack of continuity of funding. An integrated based groups actively concerned with the current and and properly resourced state solution will improve the future socio-economic sustainability of their security of such groups to the benefit of upland communities and landscape.Each group has been communities. The wider community will also be well profiled in a standardised format which describes the served by the provision of a wider scope of recreational history and motivation for the establishment of each services and a landscape that is sustainably managed by group, their long term vision, structure, territory, those who live, work and recreate there. operations, core budget, sample activities, key issues In order for these groups to learn from each other and and challenges addressed, problems encountered, coordinate greater information exchange, training and unresolved issues and lessons learned. management support a system is required to coordinate What emerges from the Study is that local groups greater networking of upland community groups across demonstrate a great commitment to address identified the whole island. The usefulness of an island wide local challenges. They have become directly involved representative body to foster greater coordination and in resolving issues around hill-farming and promoting facilitate innovative solutions to common problems is upland agri-environmental schemes. They have carried obvious from the research results. This body can be a out innovative projects concerned with vegetation voice to central governments north and south, to address management involving controlled burning and the needs of upland communities and environments and landscape management. Many groups are responsible utilise the local energy and commitment of upland for walking route development and maintenance of communities. The first step is the provision of infrastructure and some groups are operating projects multi-year funding for active upland groups and a which facilitate local permissible recreational access to national upland network co-ordinator to organise open mountain and managing the risks from dogs. Some information gathering, dissemination, training and are actively supporting the local provision of services management support for all groups. and facilities for tourists and year round recreational 2 Irish Uplands Study Single page Qty 150 18/05/2016 11:17 Page 3 M ETHODOLOGY 3 INTRODUCTION THE SESSIONS This Study has consciously invested considerable time The session lasted between a minimum of two and up to into talking with many of the leading representatives five hours. On average between two and three people of upland communities across the island. attended each session but numbers ranged from one to These conversations were structured, in total taking seven. Participants usually included the Chair of the place over a four month period and occurred in each group often with a 'manager' and a seasoned group of the locations. member however this varied. From the outset it was The consultation phase had three objectives:- made clear to groups that the session would follow a • Ensure completion of the bespoke Upland Community conversational format as opposed to an interview Group Study - Survey; session. This approach likely enhanced the enjoyment • Draw out from the groups suggestions, observations and usefulness of the session for both parties. and concerns in relation to enhancing the quality of life and conserving the upland environment for future THE PROFILES generations and; An important output of this process was the drafting of • Gather the specific data required to draft individual one thousand word profiles of each group. These again Profiles of each group within a common template. followed a fourteen question template completed by the consultant post session. Each group had an opportunity Reality determined that not every group on the island to feedback and approve their profile. The IUF hope that could be consulted as part of the project. A list of this suite of profiles will be a useful resource over the consultees was drawn up employing some of the coming years for all those interested in upland affairs. following selection criteria:- An opportunity exists to ensure these are refreshed on • Geographical location (including cross border); an on-going basis and make them readily available • History and age of the group; online for all. New profiles can be easily added • Operational, participation and funding profile; employing the simple template to build up a more • Scale of the group; comprehensive picture of upland groups. • Any special programming interests / projects delivered; • Previous engagement with the IUF. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL & PERSPECTIVES A number of external bodies fed into the process at the An initial 'Introduction to the Study' by the Chair consultation phase including Teagasc, Irish Rural Link, of the IUF was emailed to the invited participants. Sports NI, NI Environmental Agency and Pobal.