Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners call for action to 'save our forests'

THERE was an impassioned call to all political representatives to prioritise the need to save Ireland’s forestry industry at the AGM of Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners on Saturday. 

They say action is needed now if Ireland is serious in its intention to reach our climate change mitigation commitments, as otherwise tax-payers faces €6 billion in likely fines.

Chairman Simon White said that the annual planting targets will continue to be missed because of “the short-sighted approach of the Department of Agriculture in penalising forest owners who have done nothing wrong”. 

“The department cannot stand by and watch woodland owners be wiped out financially by a disease it allowed into the country or by making it impossible to harvest their timber, and at the same time advocate that more people should sign up to forestry,” said Mr White.

At the meeting in Ballykisteen Hotel it was agreed that the inadequate Ash dieback plan must be amended, with urgency, as “it fails to implement the recommendations of the ash dieback review report”. 

“Ash plantation owners must be fairly compensated for the losses if there is to be any chance of reinstating landowner confidence in growing trees. The compulsion to replant when a forest is destroyed by disease must be removed from the legislation, this policy is counterproductive and possibly unconstitutional,” they say. 

Members of the producer group formed in 2011 also say the Forest Service must take urgent action to protect the country from diseases that threaten to attack our existing forests. 

“Several species of bark beetle are at risk of being imported into Ireland and threaten to wipe out our forests which will cost billions. There is enough commercial forestry to meet Ireland’s demand but bureaucracy prevents it from being harvested so we have to import timber from infected areas.

“Growing native broadleaf trees for environmental benefit needs to have a permanent financial return for landowners. The tree grower needs to be paid for the carbon sequestered and needs to be supported in the costly management of such forests if we wish to encourage sustainable woodland creation.”

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Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners backs the call for an independent expert forestry group to direct future forestry policy and that they need a dedicated minister specifically to resolve this on-going forestry crisis. 

They urged all involved in forestry to raise these issues if canvassed during the election.

The Department of Agriculture has been contacted by Limerick Live for comment.