Sir, – As highlighted by Donal Whelan (Letters, November 4th) we are falling far short of our already modest national tree planting targets.
As a forester, I have always believed planting trees to be a “good thing”. However, now with the urgent need to mitigate climate change, planting trees is no longer just a good thing, it has become critical to securing a sustainable future for us all. So why, in Ireland, do we need a licence to plant trees?
Yes, there are sensitive areas where afforestation could be inappropriate but these can be protected by legislation, as happens in other countries.
Our dysfunctional licencing system for forestry needs to be fixed and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine should support and promote the practice of forestry in Ireland rather than hinder it.
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Where are the visionary politicians like Seán MacBride who initiated a planting target of 25,000 acres per year back in 1948, securing the forest estate we have today?
– Yours, etc,
CORMAC O CARROLL,
Salzburg, Austria.