'Lot of concern' over proposed legislation for forestry corridors to protect overhead lines
There is a "lot of concern" among farm foresters around proposed new legislation for forestry corridors to protect overhead lines, Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) farm forestry chair Padraig Stapleton said.
The proposed legislation would provide for the establishment and maintenance of these corridors – areas within a given distance of the electricity network, within which forestry vegetation and related activities can be restricted by law.
ESB Networks would be provided with additional vegetation management powers, and the bill would attach responsibilities to landowners for corridor maintenance.
It also would establish principles for the compensation of landowners affected by forestry corridor works.
The government said that the "unprecedented outages" caused by Storm Éowyn earlier this year "exposed critical vulnerabilities arising from unmanaged vegetation and commercial forestry close to electricity infrastructure".
Consultation with farmers
The IFA said it is key that ESB Networks consults with farmers on this proposed legislation.
“Farmers with established forests are extremely concerned about some of the proposals, which include removing the forestry green edge to widen forestry corridors," IFA's Stapleton said.
"This will leave plantations vulnerable to further windblow or disease outbreaks.
"There is also concern around the proposals seeking to impose maintenance responsibilities on landowners.
"IFA will be insisting that the interests of forestry landowners are properly protected in any new legislation.”
On a separate item, Padraig Stepleton said ESB Networks has confirmed that there is currently no mandatory obligation on any forestry landowner to sign an easement with ESB Networks on forestry corridors.
Stapleton said: "It is important for forestry landowners to know that any proposal from ESB Networks around forestry corridor easement is completely voluntary and also subject to agreed compensation with the landowner.
“Forestry landowners will encounter significant losses associated with the imposition of a forestry corridor and legal easement on their property, and are entitled to full compensation.
“An IFA agreement with the ESB on forestry corridors and the loss of tree planting rights, negotiated back in 1992, also needs to be updated," Stapleton concluded.
