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Department of Agriculture figures show a 56% jump in the number of hectares planted with forestry in Co Leitrim since 2007, with 434ha of forestry now planted in the county.
The amount of forestry under plantation in Co Longford jumped 54% to 272ha, while the figure increased by 41% in Co Cavan to 426ha, and 29% in Co Roscommon to 434ha.
Click to see ful-size mapMany farmers are growing increasingly concerned that the level of intense planting in their counties is effectively decimating rural communities.
Since 2015, non-farmers have been able to purchase land to plant with forestry and there are growing concerns that tax-free forestry premia are attracting foreign investors to buy land in Ireland.
Carbon emissions
Ireland has the lowest level of forestry cover in Europe, with just 10% of available land planted, and many people have pointed out that forestry can play a key role in helping to mitigate carbon emissions from the Irish livestock sector.
The Department has been actively encouraging farmers in western counties to plant land, but, as the map shows, the amount of land planted in Clare and Galway recieving premia has dropped, while Donegal has decreased by 89%, from 320ha in 2007 to just 36ha in 2016.
Despite the varying scale of intensity in certain counties, the overall amount of land in receipt of premia has actually dropped by 6% since 2007 to 6,500ha in 2016.
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