A group representing forest owners is calling on the new minister of state for responsibility for forestry to prioritise support for private plantations damaged by Storm Éowyn.
Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae is widely expected and understood to be the next minister of state for forestry, and the Irish Forest Owners (IFO) is calling on him to direct support towards owners who saw “unprecedented destruction”.
The IFO said it is aware of entire forests flattened along the western coast and across the northern regions of the country.
“Farmers and forest owners must be given the opportunity to recover at least some value from their damaged crop,” IFO chairperson Derek McCabe said.
“All obstacles must be eliminated and we are calling for an amnesty on the requirement for a clearfell licence to remove windblown timber.
“For a forest owner, seeing your years of investment being wiped out overnight is distressing enough, without the added burden of paying a forester to submit a licence application and then waiting months for a decision,” McCabe said.
The IFO said that the significant financial losses faced by many forest owners should be recognised.
The group is calling for support to meet planting obligations.
“This is the moment for the Forest Service [within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine] to step up and demonstrate their commitment to forest owners by providing timely and fair action for those most affected,” McCabe said.
The IFO is urging forest owners to take extreme care around windblown trees and to ensure that access is restricted and warning notices are in place near damaged trees.
Minister for forestry
Independent TD Healy-Rae is expected to be confirmed as the minister of state for responsibility for forestry, and has already spoken about his views on the sector and what needs to happen.
Earlier this month, he told Agriland that the next government needs to work to grow Ireland’s forestry industry and support stakeholders in doing so.
He said that farmers are the “solution” when it comes to the environment.
“Farmers are the real custodians of the environment. They are the real ‘green party’,” Deputy Healy-Rae said.
The deputy said that each farmer is working “to do their best” for the environment, “whether that is within pig husbandry, within sheep, cattle, or dairy”.
“So I’ll keep saying this for the next five years – farmers are not the problem, but they are the solution,” Deputy Healy-Rae said.
“We must work with them and we must protect the family farms. We must try and grow our forestry industry, we have to try and grow our horticulture industry,” he added.