Farmers participating in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) Co-operation project (CP) in the northwest have been playing a crucial role in improving commonages.

Each summer, the ACRES Breifne team conducts habitat quality surveys on commonages across Leitrim, West Cavan, North Roscommon, and parts of Sligo.

This includes some of Ireland’s most iconic landscapes such as Cuilcagh, Sliabh an Iarann, the Caves of Keash, and Ben Bulbin.

The ACRES Breifne team assesses these commonages using a results-based scoring system as part of the agri-environmental scheme.

Under ACRES, farmers are rewarded based on the ecological condition of their farmland, incentivising positive environmental management.

However, among the common issues which have emerged are illegal dumping and the spread of self-sown conifer trees.

“Dumping is a definite negative,” Clodagh Helen, ACRES Breifne team leader, said.

“If waste breaks down into the bog, it leaches chemicals and microplastics. This harms the habitat, the drinking water, and ultimately everyone," she added.

Removing dumping has benefits both for wildlife and for farmers’ ACRES scores. The team assesses conditions on the day of scoring, so timely removal of waste can immediately affect results.

Aífe Kearns, ACRES Breifne project officer, highlighted the practical challenges posed by dumping.

“If it’s just one empty lick bucket or a feed bag, I’ll pick it up myself. But when you’re walking across a whole mountain, you run out of hands," she said.

“Farmers aren’t always the ones leaving this stuff behind, but they’re the ones cleaning it up, fair play to them," Aífe added.

For commonages that were due to be re-scored this summer, the ACRES Breifne team let farmers know what issues were present, and what they can do about them.

Christopher Rooney, a farmer from Glenade, shared a photo of over 50 lick buckets he and his fellow shareholders collected.

While another farmer from Glencar shared how his habits have changed since joining ACRES.

“We used to leave the odd bucket behind, not thinking of it as dumping. Now, I’m collecting everything and not leaving anything behind," they said.

Farmers on Boleybrack have removed a trailer full of plastic bags from their commonages.

There are some problems that require specialist handling, such as dangerous waste disposal or invasive species removal.

For these actions, the ACRES Breifne team said that Landscape Actions will provide paid support.

“If you’re willing to do the work, we want to support you. If you think you have a skip-full of dumping on your commonage, get in touch," Aífe said.