INHFA to hold rally on forestry in Leitrim

The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) are holding a rally in Manorhamilton next Friday, February 17 at 8pm to highlight the problems with Ireland’s current and proposed forestry policies and afforestation grant scheme and seek support for an alternative approach to afforestation centred farmers communities and the environment.

INHFAs own Forestry Policy will be outlined at the rally.

It has been developed as a blueprint for how Ireland can overcome the current impasse in afforestation while achieving the three aims of increased carbon sequestration, greater biodiversity, and improved water quality.

It is a policy that benefits the environment, farmers and rural communities.

INHFA Council Representative for Leitrim/West Cavan, Patsy Daly outlined to the Observer how “current government policy incentivises vulture funds to pay artificially inflated prices for agricultural land and then plant it with Sitka Spruce trees”.
Farmers are unable to compete with these vulture funds, he explained, and so young farmers are unable to get established and existing farmers can’t expand their farms.

“Every farm planted by a vulture company is a family less in the local community with the consequent impact on the local shop, the local school, the pub, the GAA club, etc.

“And as if that wasn’t enough”, he added, “every new Sitka spruce plantation kills biodiversity, pollutes our waterways and provides little or no carbon sequestration in the long run.”

Daly stated that INHFAs forestry policy turns all of this on its head by incentivising farmers to plant a portion of their farms with native woodlands and commercial broadleaf trees.

Native woodlands and commercial broadleaves sequester carbon, increase biodiversity and improve air and water quality.
In addition, they provide quality-of-life benefits for local people as well as opportunities for woodland tourism.

In this way, INHFA policy moves from the vicious circle of anti-community, anti-environment and anti-farmer to a virtuous circle of forestry delivering social, economic and environmental benefits to the communities where they are situated.

It is, he stressed, time for change, time for a policy that:
- promotes native woodlands and native broadleaves instead of Sitka spruce,
- supports farmers and communities instead of investment companies and vulture funds,
- sees trees as part of our farms and not replacing our farms,
- provides funding only to those that have owned and farmed the land for a minimum period of time.

The rally is being held in the Beepark Centre in Manorhamilton at 8pm on Friday next.

As current forestry impacts badly on all aspects of rural life, INHFA are inviting all farmers, rural dwellers, community groups, environmental groups and sports clubs to support the rally.