Forest damage could exceed storm Darwin and hurricane Charley

Fears are growing that the forest damage inflicted by storm Éowyn could be the worst the country has ever seen.

While foresters are only now beginning to assess the damage, early indications are that the windblow could exceed the 8,000ha knocked by storm Darwin, while some industry commentators suggest it could also surpass the impact of hurricane Charley (1986).

Some 2% of all commercial tree plantations were lost to the hurricane, with individual forests losing 24% of their crop and counties Tyrone, Derry, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Galway and Clare badly affected.

A spokesperson for Coillte told the Irish Farmers Journal that it does not yet know the full extent of the damage caused by the storm to its forests, but “early indications are that it is extensive”.

“Our priority at this time is to support the National Emergency Co-ordination Group, power companies and local communities, by clearing individual trees to open road access and helping them to restore power and services to homes and farms as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.

“Once we’ve dealt with the priority of tree clearance, our focus will turn to mapping and estimating the extent of damage across our forest estate.”

Thousands of hectares

Private forestry owners were badly hit and satellite images are beginning to reveal the extent of the losses.

“Thousands of hectares are damaged,” Enda Keane of Treemetrics told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“Some areas are completely flattened and other areas have been weakened so they are likely to have further losses. Safety is a major issue, so it’s important that people stay out of forests until it is safe.

“The satellite images I’ve been looking at are focused on are limited, but I would estimate the damage in those areas alone to be 2,000ha to 3,000ha,” he said, referring to counties Longford, Leitrim, Roscommon, Galway and Cavan in particular.

Keane said significant damage is visible in forestry plantations in Tuam, Castlerea, Frenchpark, Carrick-on-Shannon, Ballinamore, Cavan, Edenderry, Ballymahon, Mountbellew and Ballinasloe.

Compensation will have to be called on, the government will have to step in, such is the scale of the damage

He added that private forestry owners will need rapid access to the market, which will require felling licences, road grants and assistance in assessing and quantifying the damage.

“Some of the timber will still be valuable and saw mills will need to be fair,” he remarked.

“The Minister will have to step up. This will be a major test of him. Compensation will have to be called on, the government will have to step in, such is the scale of the damage.”

Keane added that strategic moves will have to be made to potentially bring in machines from Scotland, access markets for the excess timber and market that timber.

Teagasc has urged forest owners not to rush into decisions, but instead put together a step-by-step plan.

“This will allow you to minimise risks while maximising residual timber value following storm impacts,” it said.

“With a clear plan, professional advice and careful management, farmers and other forest owners can effectively address storm damage, safeguard their forests and recover as much value as possible,” the farm advisory body said.

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