‘It was like a war zone’ - farmer has 13ac of forestry knocked by storm

It was Tom O’Brien’s parents who planted his forestry 32 years ago in 1993.

From Ahascragh in Co Galway, the ground planted was in Ballyforan, away from the main block of farm land.

They decided to plant it because the land was marginal and they availed of incentives at the time. So 13ac was put under Sitka spruce.

There was a minor setback in the beginning when about one-third had to be replanted due to frost damage, but aside from that, it has done “reasonably well”, Tom tells the Irish Farmers Journal.

Storm Éowyn

That is until last week when storm Éowyn knocked down between 85% and 95% of the trees, Tom explains.

The part-time beef farmer, who also works off-farm, says having heard from a neighbour that a lot of forestry was damaged locally, he went to check the 13ac on Saturday.

“I was so familiar with it being this perfect forest, very clean, no fallen trees. Suddenly, you drive up to it and it’s like a warzone in terms of broken trees.”

The plantation was just three years away from felling, with Tom calling it a “nightmare”.

Aftermath

In terms of the situation now, Tom explains that as far as he is aware, the trees can be harvested, but because they are knocked it will be a “slower and much more expensive process”.

Trees that have fallen flat can be utilised, but broken trees cannot be used for construction or other high-value items, he says.

Unfortunately, Tom thought his forestry was insured, but when he read the fine print of his policy, storm damage was excluded.

“That’s just the way it is. You can’t do a lot about it. It’s just a damage limitation exercise now.”

Government

Tom says be wants to make others aware of some of forestry’s pitfalls and what can happen to mature trees in a storm.

He questions whether the Government is going to help those affected by fallen plantations due to the storm damage, given the policy emphasis put on forestry.

“The other frustration is that Government promotes this [forestry], that everyone should get into it and everyone should grow trees.

“I wonder in this situation, will they do something? How will they support farmers who are caught up in this? Something beyond our control that we cannot really prevent.

“The second aspect is - if I want to cut those trees, even though those trees are on the ground, I have to apply for a felling licence, which can take anywhere from three to six months.

“I could be up to six months being able to do absolutely nothing other than just look at the whole forest on the ground, which is just bureaucracy at its best in Ireland. I don’t understand,” he adds.

There are many other unknowns now with the trees knocked, the farmer says, including how much it will cost to process the trees versus their salvage value.

Also, Tom explains he is legally obliged to replant once it is clear-felled.

“Right now, it doesn’t look positive. It certainly doesn’t look like an asset at the moment.”