In Co. Letrim, ‘local campaigners’ and ‘climate activists’ allegedly engaged in the pulling up of tree saplings from Coillte peatland.
Up to 150 people, some dressed as ‘Straw Boys’, took part in this action on Sunday (August 13) which took place during Climate Camp Ireland’s ‘festival of resistance’.
Climate Camp Ireland (CCI) stated: “The group, aged 5 to 75, used the uprooted saplings to block drains in the publicly owned plantation near Manorhamilton, thereby beginning rewetting and restoration of the degraded peatland.”
CCI added the action was “targeting industrial conifer plantations and highlighting the need for radical change in Ireland’s forestry policy”.
CCI was organised by Slí Eile, a climate action group, in collaboration with local campaigns, including Save Leitrim, Treasure Leitrim, and Love Leitrim.
CCI stated: “Local campaigners from Save Leitrim were joined by climate activists from across Ireland… as they pulled up Sitka spruce saplings from Coillte peatland and demanded, ‘trees for climate, not for profit’”.
A statement from Coillte said: “Coillte is aware of alleged illegal activity that took place at one of its forests in Co. Leitrim yesterday and the matter is currently being investigated.”
Coillte bog
The Save Leitrim group campaigns against the expansion of industrial conifer plantations by Coillte which it claims are “damaging communities, farming, the environment, water, soils and biodiversity”.
Brian Smyth of Save Leitrim said: “The bog from which people pulled up the Sitka saplings would sequester and store more carbon than those Sitka spruce trees ever would.
“Planting Sitka spruce in peatland is a disaster for both climate and biodiversity, especially when the trees are clear-felled.
“We want climate action, we want tree-planting, but we urgently need a shift away from the focus on timber production towards native natural woodlands of broadleaf trees.”
Participants of the climate camp said they planted oak and other native broadleaf trees on a nearby farm at the site of the camp, in Pollboy.
Smyth said: “Coillte has lost our trust. We’ve been campaigning for years but the government hasn’t listened.
“We demand an end to planting and replanting on peatland and an end to clear-felling.
“We also demand reform of the 1988 Forestry Act and Coillte’s mandate to include the removal of the sole profit motive and the introduction of a climate and biodiversity remit, with required community engagement.”
Sian Cowman of Slí Eile added: “Direct action is an example of communities empowering themselves.
“Direct action is also necessary and urgent in a situation where governments, including in Ireland, are not taking the climate and biodiversity emergency seriously.
“We stand against destruction of community, the exploitation of land and the politics of hate. We stand for communities, not shareholders.”