Noonan calls for urgent action on illegal felling of 200-year-old native woodland in Cork

The Green Party has today called for a thorough investigation led by the NPWS Wildlife Crime Directorate and An Garda Siochána following reports of large-scale destruction of native broadleaved trees and matured hedgerows in Co. Cork. 

Green Party Spokesperson for Nature, Senator Malcolm Noonan said:"What has reported to have happened in Cork is truly shocking. This is an act of wilful destruction that wiped out centuries-old natural habitats and irreplaceable biodiversity for local wildlife.

This incident also seems to have been seriously contravened the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations, with no record of a felling license or exemptions applied for." 

The Party also warned the incident poses serious risks to local water quality and wildlife, with the site of the destruction approximately one kilometre upslope of the Blackwater River and on a steep slope which drains down to a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). 

Senator Noonan concluded: 

"Coillte may have questions to answer on their knowledge of the incident and ongoing monitoring of the site. How did such destruction proceed unnoticed? Such destruction took time, heavy machinery and chainsaws and was labour intensive. It beggars’ belief that the felling of mature trees took place without attention being drawn to such activity.

"We need to see swift and effective action from Ministers O'Sullivan and Healy-Rae to coordinate a Departmental and multi-agency response to get to the bottom of what has happened, and to prosecute those at fault for this horrific crime against nature. At a time of a biodiversity crisis, wildlife crime should be treated with the seriousness it deserves by all agencies of the State."