Gougane Barra to close for felling of trees

One of the country’s most scenic forest parks, Gougane Barra in West Cork, is set to close for up to six months to allow for the felling of thousands of trees affected by fungal disease.

Coillte said yesterday that between 25% and30% of the park, approximately 16,000 trees, primarily Japanese larch, will be felled in an effort to contain further spread of the disease, caused by an organism named Phytophthora ramorum.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Ireland is only the second country where the disease, also known as Sudden Oak Death, has been found on Japanese larch. Up to 2010, when it was first detected here on Japanese larch, it was regarded as a disease of broadleaf trees, linked to the presence of wild rhododendron shrubs.

The department has expressed concern that, when present in Japanese larch, the organism produces spores at a much faster rate than is known to occur on rhododendron — previously its main host — thus acting as a very significant source for further spread of the disease.

Its presence in Gougane Barra means tourists and hikers will not have access to 5km of motor trail, 10km of hill walks, vista points, and nature trails during the six months of felling.

Parties planning nuptials in the Gougane Barra church need not be concerned, however. Access to the church and the local hotel will not be affected, nor will access to the remains of St Finbarr’s monastery.

Padraig O’Tuama, Coillte forestry productivity manager, said if no action was taken, the larch within the park “would succumb to the disease over a short number of years and act as a source for further infection”.

He said once the larch had been felled, Coillte would begin replanting with a range of different tree species such as Scots pine and oak.

Mr O’Tuama said pure Japanese larch stands make up “less than 2% of the Coillte forest estate”. To date, Coillte has carried out felling on 150 hectares of forest in an effort to contain and prevent the spread of this disease.

Mr O’Tuama said timber from infected Japanese larch can still be used and that, after felling, the logs will be taken under licence to authorised processing facilities where appropriate biosecurity precautions are in place.

The Gougane Barra felling operation will start on Jan 8.

Symptoms of the disease on larch trees include dead and dying trees, partial or whole crown discolouration, needle wilt, branch and shoot dieback, and resin bleeding.

Evidence from the US suggests infection can spread from rain, mist, and air currents. The transport of infected plant material and contaminated soil on machinery and boots of forest workers and users is recognised as significant means of spread of infection.

Under EU requirements, annual forest surveys for Phytophthora ramorum have been ongoing since 2003. Noble fir, beech, and Spanish chestnut growing in close proximity to infected Japanese larch have also been found to be infected at a number of the sites.