Spruced Up: Living with Forestry

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[@user-xl2og8dp7w]

My family had lands in three areas around Drumkeerin including in Lisnanerris (Gortnasilliagh East), Tullyveane, and Eden Dowra. I was lucky enough to see them before they were planted. They have all disappeared now and I think may have been harvested by now leaving the area like it had been bombed out of existence. I hope that they will pay for the destruction that they have wrought.

[@stephenhall3515]

Leitrim takes more than its fair share of forestry than eastern counties without seeing much local benefit but depopulation of the country was not necessarily caused by plantations.
Irresponsible planting of now very old and degraded wood stock cannot be undone but the Dept of Agriculture must make thinning a priority alongside overhang issues and the dangerous condition of 'strangled' deciduous trees which often fall on to our roads and other infrastructure as they lack the flexibiliy of spruce.
Dense planting such as Leitrim has at present is a major barrier to broadband and other electromagnetic communications but this has been consistently ignored by successive governments.
Given that good communications are essential to all areas post-Covid as there will be changes in what a place of work constitutes the government must ensure that areas ill-served in these ways are given special attention. Good examples are small, specialist farms, endeavour companies making a huge variety of things and employing many people as well as there being a proven necessity linking educational and service activities.
Given that plantation crops are usually the lumber at present there is an urgent need to make use of rest of trees for biofuels and to do it within plantation areas so that local people can have jobs and careers in one of Ireland's biggest wasted assets. Wood ethanol can be used in green products beyond mere liquid fuel for engines and generators.
As licence review is due early in 2021 those who would bid to plant or renew existing licences need to be required to give plans for a far greater bio-diversity than is usually presented including whole use of a tree.
No more spruce trees should be planted in Leitrim until all of the above and probable future impacts have been satisfied.
Dr S F Hall,
Leitrim