Government decision on forest harvesting rights imminent

The Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney is to bring a policy document to the cabinet setting out the future of State forestry service Coillte, to include a decision on whether to sell off the forestry service’s timber harvesting rights.
To dictate the future of forestation across the country, there has been widespread speculation on what the State plans to do with such areas, including the nine main forested areas in county Cavan.
In the Forest Management Plan for the county, 2011 to 2015, there is 125 hecatres of forested land due for thinning and 47ha for clear-felling.
According to a new report launched by IMPACT’s Coillte Branch, they say any proposal to commercially harvest Coillte forests for up to 80-years, on a grander scale than that already in existence, would “destroy” the character of the native countryside for generations to come.
‘Save Our Forests: The social, economic and environmental case against selling Coillte assets’ also state any such plans could jeopardise further jobs in the 12,000-strong Irish forest products sector, which is currently worth €2.2 billion a year including €286 million in exports.
A local forestry source told The Anglo-Celt that Coillte workers in the county are facing an anxious wait as long as the Minister holds off on announcing the details of any future plans for the industry.
Andrew St Ledger of the national lobbying group, the Woodland League agrees, and says while pressure has been applied on government bodies in relation to the subject of harvesting rights, that people need to become more vocal or face losing an a natural resource.
“After four years of this being mooted a new plan could have already been put in place to make better use of the Public forest estate. Hopefully its not too late for the government to step back from the narrow plan and embrace the bigger picture,” he said.