protect forestry

Protection in the Coastal Zone - Forestry


Introduction	Government	Production	Protection	Infrastructure	Contacts

Forestry in the Coastal Zone

The community agreed the following objective for forestry in the coastal zone:

1. Objective:

To achieve forestry in the coastal zone that meets the needs of local communities through planning, planting and management that enhances the environment and other areas of economic and social activity.

The community identified the following challenges to achieving the objective:

2. While the overall amount of commercial forestry in the Bantry Bay coastal zone is relatively small,
there are some individual plantations that are very large. Planting tends to be concentrated in
particular areas. These are often on poorer, upland, locations which are also some of the most striking
and attractive landscapes of the coastal zone. The openness of these landscapes is part of their
attraction and this contributes to the tourism industry and the income that this generates for the local
community. Forestry development may damage these unique landscapes.

Both large and small forestry plantations can have significant impacts on the local community and
the environment. A range of concerns exist about the possible negative impacts of forestry,
including: damage to water quality; loss of wildlife; loss or change of scenic landscape quality; loss
of established land-use & livelihoods, such as sheep farming; and disruption of rural communities.

There are few controls on forestry planting or management where no grant is received. There is not
adequate consultation involved in the planning of new forestry plantations. In many cases
plantations have been too large, and the shape and the species used have not blended with the
natural environment.

Inadequate forestry management can cause problems, for example, poor upkeep of fencing which
leads to animals straying into plantations.

Felling operations damage the land and leave unattractive scars on the landscape. Often there is no
arrangement to replant these areas.

There is a decline in native woodland and tree species and very little encouragement for planting of
non-commercial woodland.

3. Agreed Approach to Achieving the Objective:

The community agreed the following approach to achieving the objective:

3.a Forestry and woodland creation has considerable potential to add to the coastal zone, provided its development is environmentally, socially and economically balanced. While the rights of landowners who want to carry out planting must be respected, whether or not a new plantation is to go ahead should be considered in the above terms.

3.b In areas that are valuable for their landscapes, and where forestry would be only poorly productive or uneconomic, grants should not be given for further commercial planting.

3.e Encourage the restoration of the landscape where replanting does not take place after clear felling. For new plantations this should be made a requirement for getting grant approval.

3.f The attraction of forests, their value for leisure activities and other uses, should be promoted and supported through making grants available for non-commercial planting, and for the encouragement of an increased use of native species.

3.c All proposals for new plantations should be assessed from the point of view of the impact they will have on the landscape and local communities in the future.

3.d All forestry developments should have active management strategies, agreed with the Forestry Service, that control possible negative impacts. There should be a clearly identified point of contact for the public; to deal with issues that may arise.

3.g New forestry plantations should be encouraged to stagger the planting of areas so that each plot includes trees at the establishment, growing and harvesting phase of development. Any other ways in which impacts on wildlife and the environment can be reduced should also be promoted.

3.h New tree plantations should use the correct species in the right places to benefit the landscape, water resources, cultural and natural heritage of the area.

4. Agreed Actions:

Specifically, the community has agreed that the following actions should be carried out:

4.a Develop guidelines for forestry applications, planting and management in the coastal zone that control possible negative impacts of forestry.	4.e Set up a system of checks by the Forestry Service to confirm that the long-term management system of forestry plantations is working.
4.b Develop guidelines on conditions for felling licenses in the coastal zone, including the commitment to restore the landscape.	4.f Stagger the planting of forestry so that each plot includes trees at the establishment, growing and harvesting stage of development.
4.c Produce standard guides for consulted bodies to follow when commenting on proposed forestry developments. (CPP 4.e)	4.g Carry out a survey to discover the extent and condition of native woodland still present in the Bantry Bay coastal zone. Encourage landowners to enhance woodlands in their care.
4.d Establish a system for public notices of grant-aided forestry applications. Locals should be notified and consulted about all forestry developments in their area.	4.h Survey forestry sites in the coastal zone to assess their potential use for leisure activities. Identify ways to develop these uses of woodland.


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