Coillte has defended its decision to fell part of one of the last woodlands on the shores of Connemara's Lough Corrib. The forestry company has been licensed to remove 440 trees from Annagh wood, location of a children's cemetery and public right of way.
The mature woodland is on a peninsula bounded by two bays on the lake's western banks, several miles from Oughterard, Co Galway.
Locals have expressed concern about the impact on the landscape, following similar tree felling on Inchagoill island south-west of Cong several years ago. They have questioned why no environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been carried out.
The Forest Service has confirmed that Coillte applied for a general felling licence, under the Forestry Act 1946, and it was granted "following consultation with National Parks and Wildlife Service, the county council, the relevant fisheries board and a site inspection by a Forest Service inspector". Coillte also says that every precaution will be taken to ensure that the children's cemetery is not affected by the felling, which will be "115 to 120 metres away at the closest point".
The licensed area comprises 3.8 hectares of conifer trees within 11.5 hectares of woodland, the Forest Service says.
"The management objective is to convert the woodland from a mixed conifer/broadleaf to mixed broadleaf woodland while retaining some Scots Pine that is the only native conifer tree." The area will be "replanted with a mixture of broadleaf trees", it says, and there is no requirement for an EIA. This is only mandatory for deforestation and conversion where the area is greater than 10 hectares of natural woodland or 70 hectares of conifer forest, the Forest Service says. "Should a particular felling operation require an assessment this can be requested, on a discretionary basis, by the Forest Service," it says, but in practice the consultation allows for approval if the service is "happy that no environmental threat is posed".
Brian O'Donnell, who lives at Gortdrishagh close to Annagh wood, said he was shocked at the decision. "For the sake of an estimated €40,000 which Coillte will get for these trees, it will remove the last significant wood in Lough Corrib,"he said.
Coillte says that local consultation took place on June 8th, 2006, but Mr O'Donnell said that he had not been contacted, in spite of the fact that he had been in touch with the company beforehand.