Existing thinning licences can now be used to clear forests that suffered windblow damage during storms Éowyn and Darragh, the Department of Agriculture has announced.

The Department confirmed that both existing in-date clearfell licences (including thin and clearfell licences) and thinning-only licences, can be used to clear windblown forests covered by these licences.

In the case of thinning-only licences, forest owners must fill-in this form and email it to felling.forestservice@agriculture.gov.ie with the subject line ‘Notification of storm utilisation of Thinning licence’.

The Department stated that replanting information must be sent to the same email address within six months.

For existing clearfell licences, the Department said: “Conditions of the licence shall apply to any cutting, felling and removal of timber, including any timing restrictions in the licence conditions that might apply for the protection of bird species.”

IFA

Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) farm forestry chair, Padraig Stapleton, welcomed Minister of State with responsibility for forestry Michael Healy-Rae’s decision to allow existing thinning and felling licences to be valid for clearing windblown forests.

“This is a significant development in our efforts to salvage timber from farm forests impacted by storm Éowyn. Professional trained contractors can now clear and remove windblow trees in line with the existing conditions attached to the licences, where safe to do so."

Stapleton added that the replanting obligation “must be adhered to”.

“The Department of Agriculture has issued a six-month window whereby all replanting information must be sent to the same email address as above, after the works are carried out,” he said.