Almost 600 appeals lodged against forestry projects

Some 582 appeals were lodged against the granting of forestry licences last year. Stock Image.

The number of appeals lodged against planned forestry projects almost doubled last year, according to new figures.

The annual report of the Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) shows that 874 appeals were placed with it in 2020, up from 489 in 2019.

The body's chairman's report also showed that 582 appeals were lodged against the granting of forestry licences last year, up from 311 the previous year.

Four divisions of the FAC can now hear appeals after additional resources were made available from last November to deal with a growing backlog of cases. 

It also receives administrative support from the Agricultural Appeals Office. 

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According to the report, this increase in resources led to a jump in the number of licence appeal cases that were heard. 

"During the period January 2020 to 4 November 2020 the FAC heard 216 licences," it said. 

"Following the establishment of the additional committees, 144 licences were heard between 9 November 2020 and 31 December 2020.

"Since the establishment of the 4 divisions, the FAC is now hearing appeals on an average of 60 licences per month.

"This report illustrates that the establishment of three additional Divisions of the FAC has resulted in a 150% increase in appeals being heard. 

"Given the increase in output, the FAC must be cognisant of maintaining a high standard of process and procedure."

The report also shows that of the total number of appeals submitted to the FAC in 2020, 67% were submitted by two individual appellants, spread across afforestation, felling, and forest road appeals. 

A fourth category of appeals is aerial fertilisation, but of the cases decided last year, 56% related to felling, 28% to afforestation, and 16% to forest roads.

When it came to the outcome of appeals, fewer than one-in-five (18%) were set aside and another 3% were varied, with most confirmed or affirmed in general.

All decisions are published on the FAC website and many contain complaints over the possible impact of forestry on wildlife, the type of forestry pinpointed for planting, the potential impact of the felling process, the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment, and other reasons.

According to the report: "Most appeals are by third parties and concern mainly environmental matters and the implementation of the provisions of the European Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Habitats and Birds Directives."

The FAC hears both oral and non-oral hearing appeals. Since March 2020 hearings have been generally conducted remotely due to Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines.