Hen Harrier Project — Results-Based Agri-Environment Payments in Six Irish Special Protection Areas

The Hen Harrier Project (2017–2023) was an EIP funded with over €23 million from Ireland's CAP Rural Development Programme 2014–2022. Farmers in six Special Protection Areas had eligible land scored annually with a scorecard; higher habitat scores earned higher payments.
A further 'Hen Harrier Bonus' was payable when the SPA's hen harrier population reached its objective, with an extra payment for farmers holding core nesting territory.
According to the final report summary, over 1,600 farmers took part, more than 46,000 hectares were under conservation management and over 4,000 conservation actions were implemented; about €20 million was paid as habitat and supporting-action payments and €3.5 million went to community actions, trials, monitoring and administration.
Caveats: the Irish Wildlife Trust reported 62 confirmed breeding pairs (described as fairly steady) with 2021 recruitment at an all-time low, no young in the Slieve Blooms SPA, a nest lost to fire in Stacks to Mullaghareirk, commercial forestry covering about half the SPAs and an EU-mandated threat response plan unpublished. Population-level benefit is therefore not yet demonstrated.

Read the full analysis: https://capnetworkireland.eu/hen-harrier-project-final-report-now-available/