Let’s have native trees, not Sitka ‘war zones’

I WAS pleased to see the letter (June 25) by Brendan Kelly on our massive monoculture plantations of Sitka spruce. Much of the countryside, notably in west Cork, has been visibly and invisibly ruined by these dark and gloomy forests, almost devoid of wildlife.

Even worse is the effect of the clearfelling, leaving behind a scarred and torn landscape that wouldn’t look out of place in your average war zone.

Such land management surely does not contribute to combating climate change — for every ounce of carbon locked up in the wood of these trees, how much is lost in the machinery-intensive and soil-damaging harvest?

There is a certain short-term economic gain for the landowners who plant these trees. However, this does not compare to the financial benefits of sustainable forest management which promotes native trees and their associated flora and fauna, allowing for commercial enterprises such as woodcraft, edible mushroom cultivation and perhaps most importantly for Ireland, tourism. We on the wild Atlantic edge of Europe can offer unrivalled natural beauty, trout angling in unpolluted rivers and other attractions of eco-tourism, but only if we mind what we have and do not allow it to be destroyed by over-reliance on a chemical-hungry cash crop.

If the forestry grants scheme can be adapted to meet the need for sustainable, environmentally-friendly woodland management, then Ireland will surely reap great benefits.

Donal O’Leary

Lr Cork Street

Macroom

Co Cork