Wildlife Act, 1976

Agreement as to user and management of land.

18.—(1) The Minister or, with his prior approval, any other person, may enter into an agreement with a person having an interest in or over land ensuring that the management of the land shall be conducted in a manner (to be specified in the agreement) which will not impair wildlife or its conservation.

(2) An agreement under this section shall be entered into only after consultation with the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, the Commissioners and any planning authority in whose area the relevant land or any part thereof is situate.

(3) An agreement under this section may provide for the payment by the Minister or any other person who is a party to the agreement of consideration, either by way of a single payment or by way of payment of an annual sum, to a person having, or claiming to be entitled to, an interest in or over the land to which the agreement relates.

(4) An agreement under this section may provide that the agreement shall be enforceable against persons deriving title to the land under the person having the interest in or over the land, and, in case such provision is included in the agreement, subject, where appropriate, to the agreement's being registered under section 69 of the Registration of Title Act, 1964 , as amended by section 66 of this Act, and to compliance with any rules made under section 126 of that Act which are relevant, it shall be so enforceable in respect of the person's former interest as if the Minister, or the person who with the Minister's approval entered into the agreement, was possessed of adjacent land and as if the agreement had been expressed to be made for the benefit of that land.

(5) The Commissioners, the Board and any planning authority within whose area the land, or any part of the land, to which an agreement made under this section relates, shall be notified by the Minister of the agreement, and if the agreement is terminated and the Minister is aware thereof, of the termination.

(6) Where an agreement under this section to which the Minister is not a party is terminated, the parties to the agreement shall cause notice of the termination to be given to the Minister.

(7) In this section “management” in relation to land means use of the land for agriculture or forestry, the carrying out of works on, in or under the land, the making of any change in the physical, topographical or ecological nature or characteristics of the land and the use of the land for educational or recreational purposes.