A FARMER is calling on this year’s second Visites du Branchage – which is the deadline for overgrown trees, hedges, walls and banques to be cut back – to be delayed in light of the exceptionally dry summer.
Nikki de Gruchy, who runs La Croix Farm and Regeneration Centre in Trinity, is specifically concerned about her parish’s Visite, which is due to take place on Friday 4 September.
All second Visites around the Island this year take place over a three-week period between 3 and 18 September. Parish officials – most of whom are volunteers – inspect public roads, lanes and footpaths. The first one was carried out in late June and July.
Occupiers of property bordering public thoroughfares can be fined up to £100 every time they fail to meet the minimum standards.
Ms de Gruchy said that flora and fauna are currently in great distress due to the incredibly hot and dry summer, and early September was far too soon to be cutting vegetation back in Trinity.
She said: “In addition to many scorched roadside banques visible Islandwide, we have been observing drought and heat stress in mature trees for some time, and there is still no decent rain in sight. It is likely some mature trees will die, especially if subjected to additional stressors.
“Speaking to a branchage contractor this week, we both agreed there was very little foliage to cut right now.
“The growing season has significantly changed since the 1914 law was enacted and it would seem wise to consider the effect of climate change, and the biodiversity crisis, calling for adaptation to the current times.”
She continued: “Could the second branchage be done later, to take into account late season growth when the rains hopefully do come? That would also mean a ‘head start’ on less growth the following year, with a later second cut, while not adversely impacting the nesting season any more than the branchage already does.”
She added that despite yesterday’s rain, with more forecast to fall this week, that there “needs to be a recovery time” and that short spells of rain will “just wash away the surface dirt” and the prolonged wet weather is needed to “actually make a difference to trees”.
Ms de Gruchy added: “The trees at the very wettest part of our farm, which is a meadow within a large water catchment, are all showing signs of drought stress. Whether it is 200-year-old ash, 100-year-old dogwood or willow, which needs a lot of water but is incredibly resilient, all the trees are suffering.
“Usually at this time of year, dogwood and elder should be laden with berries but there are hardly any. With the exception of hawthorn and bramble, there is no food supply for the birds as we come into autumn.”
Ms de Gruchy called on the Constables’ Committee, which sets the Visite dates, to do so nearer the time in future, to take account of the weather conditions.
In response, Committee chair Constable Andy Jehan said: “We all recognise that the 1914 law is out of date, and there is a major project underway by Infrastructure, with the support of the parishes, to update the law, which will include changes, I’m sure, to the Branchage law.
“While we are very sympathetic to Ms de Gruchy’s request, the problem is that the dates are set a long time in advance because people need to book their days off. We rely on volunteers, including roads inspectors, roads committee members and honorary police, to carry out the Visite and a lot of these people have full- or part-time jobs.
“So, for this year, it is unreasonable to change the dates at such late notice but, going forward, it certainly warrants a more detailed conversation, particularly with the agricultural industry, who carry out most of the land husbandry around the Island.”
Mr Jehan added that while he recognised that Ms de Gruchy had a “reasonable point”, he had not heard from any other landowner requesting a delay.
“We have landowners responsible for miles of hedgerows around the Island, some who have done their branchages already,” he said.
