Forest owners warn of damage risk for their unfelled trees

Tree felling delayed by backlog of 4,700 licence applications

Forest owners warn of damage risk for their unfelled trees. Picture: iStock

Private forest owners have warned they could face average losses as high as €100,000, if trees lose condition, or suffer windblow damage, while they wait for licences to allow harvest.

By mid-December, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine had a backlog of 4,700 licence applications to allow farmers carry out felling, planting, and other forestry operations.