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News Stories: Oaks 2003
Dartrey Heritage News 2005-2007
Controversy over Coillte plans to cut Ancient Dartrey Oaks
Proposals by Coillte to cut a number of oak trees in Dartrey Forest have meet with strong resistance from a number of local people who claim that any such action would devastate a wildlife habitat for herons and deer, and even more importantly, an area of significant beauty the last mature woodland remaining intact in the 1,500 acres of Dartrey
 Those opposed to the plans have also questioned the motives of Coillte in cutting down the trees, which form the only section of older oaks left in the forest. The picturesque ten-acre stretch of trees is situated on the shores of the Inner Lough, directly opposite the site of the former Dartrey castle.
By Michael McDonnell of the Northern Standard (Dec 5th. 2002 issue)
Local Opposition
Local Concerns about the proposals were raised at a meeting organized by Coillte on Thursday November 28th in the White Horse Hotel, Cootehill.
Among the local residents of the area who attended the meeting were David Foster and Cormac McCaul. Speaking to this paper, both men refuted the Coillte argument that some of the older trees should be felled in order to let new one grow.
Mr. Forster said the Coillte informed them that they would be ³enhancing² the forest by cutting down ³an odd tree
her and there² to let the young trees grow. But he said young oak trees would get more room if the forestry people were to cut the
large spread of rhododendron that is growing in amoung the trees.
He welcomed Coillte¹s plans to plants new groups of oak in and around the forest, but he did not see why it was necessary to cut down any of the long-standing oaks. Coillte had planted young oaks before, he said, but they had been eaten by deers because they were not properly fenced off.
The patch of older oaks was also a heronry, a natural habitat used by herons for roosting, Mr. Forster said. It was one of the only two heronries in Monaghan, the other being in the northern part of the county. He believed that these were protected sites,
and said the Coillte officials at last weeks meeting seemed to be totally unaware of these considerations.
The Northern Standard contacted Duchas Wildlife Ranger Denis O¹Higgins, who agreed that there was a heronry in the area. Mr. O¹Higgins said he would seek to ascertain whether the group of trees in question was in fact being used by the herons.
Protected
Significantly, he said it would be illegal for Coillte to cut any of the oak trees if it was confirmed that they were a sanctuary for herons, as all wild birds and their places of habitation were now protected by law
Cormac McCaul said they had been told by Coillte that the meeting was arranged to inform the public of what would be happening - so they would not panic when they heard the chain saws! ³ But anyone we have talked to so far has been outraged at even the though of them going in there² he said.
He added that Coillte said they wanted to take 15 trees out this year, which would be a very large portion. He was afraid they might then seek to fell another 15 - next years quota- early in the New Year
Money
Both men said they believed the real motive behind Coillte¹s plan was money. (1) Mr. Forster believed a large mature oak could be worth in excess of 2000 euros. But the loss of up to 30 trees would devastate the area.
³They want to get the trees onto the saw bench!² he contended.
Recalling that there had been a campaign to save the oaks in the area about 15 years ago, he said Coillte had given a guarantee at the time that the group of trees in question would never be touched. But it seemed that Coillte were now hoping to move in and start felling the oaks. He believed the officials had not been expecting what he described as the adverse reaction to their plans at the Cootehill meeting.
³Local people were totally opposed to cutting the trees,² Mr. Foster said. ³I challenged them to ask for a show of hands at the meeting, but they would not. It was a PR exercise that went wrong for them.²
Last line of Defense.
Cormac McCaul said he believed the local people were the ³last line of defence² in saving the oaktree plot at the Inner Lough. Coillte had been given the green light by the Country Council, and everybody had said ³yes² so far - except the local people who had fought against the cutting of the trees in the past.
Mr. Forster noted that a Coillte official had agreed to bring people on a tour of the area to point out the trees that they were planning to cut down. Anyone interested can gather at Damien House, Tanagh at 1:30 am on Sunday next, December 15th.
He said there were also local concerns about the future of the herd of wild deer in Dartrey Forest. Coillte had indicated that they wanted to cull 100 deer in the coming year, and this would decimate the herd if carried out. He did not believe there were even 100 deer left in Dartrey.
The fact that stalkers had been given permission to kill 100 deer in a wildlife sanctuary was decimating the herd.
Apart from that, he was concerned that the high velocity bullets used were a danger to anyone walking in the woods.
Coillte had also signaled their intention to provide clear patches of grassland (³deer lawns²) for the animals, but he was concerned that these feeding areas could also be used to make easy shooting targets of the animals.
Meanwhile, Coillte Forest Manager George Byrne told the Northern Standard that last months meeting had been organised to give the public a chance to air their views on the proposals for the forest. He denied that the meeting had not been publicized. It had been advertised in the local press, and members of Duchas and the Fisheries Board had been informed of it.
Mr. Byrne said Coillte ³would not dream² of felling any trees if they were part of a heronry. But he said it still had to be determined if that was the case.
When pressed on the matter, he said Coillte would investigate whether the area was used by the birds.
If the herons were there, they would not cut any trees.
Don¹t want to go Against People
³We don¹t want to go against the wishes of the people,² he said
While accepting that this was the last batch of oak trees in the forest, he claimed that some of the older trees were stopping the growth of others.
We put to him that the trees could be given more breathing room by cutting the surrounding shrubbery, and he agreed that this could help. But he argued that there were still cases where some of the trees should be felled in the interest of the forest management.
We also asked why the new trees could not be planted in the other parts of the vast forest acreage.
Mr. Byrne said Coillte intended to plant new batches of trees, but they also had to look at the management and enhancement of the overall area.
He was adamant, however, that Coillte had no intention of felling the trees before the end of the year, and he strongly refuted the suggestion that Coillte had financial interest in felling the trees. The operation would cost more than it was worth in that regard, he said.
Concluding, Mr. Byrne confirmed that Coillte would be given interested parties a tour of the area on Sunday next in order to demonstrate what they were proposing to do.
My Notes: This article shows the concern of the local citizens however I believe Coillte is just going through the formalities
because of past criticism .
(1) Most of the previously cut large oaks were cut for firewood, the excuse given that they were a danger to passing cars.
Also a number of trees which were cut down (opposite Tanagh recreation center) were left to rot ..
We also obviously differ on what would be an enhancement of the area.
Other area disturbs were a rookery on the main entrance, its long existence witnessed by the town lands name "Kilcrow"
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