A total of 26,050ha of forestry was damaged during the strong winds of storm Éowyn and storm Darragh, according to an assessment of satellite imagery carried out by the Department of Agriculture.

The analysis of satellite imagery shows that 14,500ha of Coillte forestry and 11,550ha of privately-owned forestry were left with windblow damage in the wake of the two storms.

Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry Michael Healy-Rae announced the confirmed figures, saying that the clear skies over recent weeks sped up the process of collecting and assessing the satellite imagery.

“It is clear that the first task for forest owners affected by windblow is the safe clearance of sites,” Minister Healy-Rae said.

“The majority of owners can use their existing clearfell and thinning licences to do this work. For those who do not have a licence it’s advisable that you apply for it now and mark it as ‘storm-damage’.

“All such applications received will be prioritised and issued as quickly as possible.”

Timber value

The minister urged forestry owners with impacted sites not to rush any forest management decisions after they receive a license to maximise the salvage value of timber.

“Most windblown forests still have considerable timber value and will retain that value for some time, in particular if the tree is still connected to the roots,” he added.

The Windblow Taskforce convened after storm Éowyn has agreed to draw up a “comprehensive action plan” on dealing with windblown forestry.