The Wholesome Photo of the Month Thu May 09, 2024 11:01 | Anti-Empire
In 3 War Years Russia Will Have Spent $3... Thu May 09, 2024 02:17 | Anti-Empire
UK Sending Missiles to Be Fired Into Rus... Tue May 07, 2024 14:17 | Marko Marjanović
US Gives Weapons to Taiwan for Free, The... Fri May 03, 2024 03:55 | Anti-Empire
Russia Has 17 Percent More Defense Jobs ... Tue Apr 30, 2024 11:56 | Marko Marjanović Anti-Empire >>
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.
Julian Assange is finally free ! Tue Jun 25, 2024 21:11 | indy
Stand With Palestine: Workplace Day of Action on Naksa Day Thu May 30, 2024 21:55 | indy
It is Chemtrails Month and Time to Visit this Topic Thu May 30, 2024 00:01 | indy
Hamburg 14.05. "Rote" Flora Reoccupied By Internationalists Wed May 15, 2024 15:49 | Internationalist left
Eddie Hobbs Breaks the Silence Exposing the Hidden Agenda Behind the WHO Treaty Sat May 11, 2024 22:41 | indy Human Rights in Ireland >>
Heat Pump Refuseniks Risk £2,000 Surge in Gas Bills Sat Jul 27, 2024 17:00 | Richard Eldred With heat pump numbers forecast to rise, the energy watchdog Ofgem has predicted that bills for those who continue using gas boilers will surge.
The post Heat Pump Refuseniks Risk £2,000 Surge in Gas Bills appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Debt-Funded GB Energy to Bet on the Costliest Electricity Generation Technologies Sat Jul 27, 2024 15:00 | David Turver So much for Labour's pledge to cut energy bills by £300, says David Turver. Under GB Energy, our bills can only go one way, and that is up.
The post Debt-Funded GB Energy to Bet on the Costliest Electricity Generation Technologies appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Christians Slam Paris Opening Ceremony for Woke Parody of ?Last Supper? Sat Jul 27, 2024 13:00 | Richard Eldred Awful audio, bizarre performances, embarrassing gaffes and a woke 'Last Supper' parody that has outraged Christians turned the Paris Olympics opening ceremony into a rain-soaked disaster.
The post Christians Slam Paris Opening Ceremony for Woke Parody of ?Last Supper? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Victorian Laws Against Priests Meddling in Politics Are Now Needed More Than Ever ? To Prevent Imams... Sat Jul 27, 2024 11:46 | Steven Tucker The Muslim Vote wants Labour to abolish Victorian ?spiritual influence? laws that prevent religious leaders from swaying voters, but Steven Tucker argues that in cities like Leicester these laws are more vital than ever.
The post Victorian Laws Against Priests Meddling in Politics Are Now Needed More Than Ever ? To Prevent Imams Doing the Same appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Live and Let D.E.I. Sat Jul 27, 2024 09:00 | Dr James Allan Law professor James Allan has had a bet on Donald Trump to win the Presidency for two years. He's even more confident of winning now that Kamala Harris has become the Democratic nominee.
The post Live and Let D.E.I. appeared first on The Daily Sceptic. Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en
Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en
Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en
Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
National Parks And Wildlife Service Powerless To Stop Wildlife Destruction In Protected Areas
national |
environment |
press release
Wednesday May 18, 2016 21:20 by Tony Lowes - Friends of the Irish Environment admin at friendsoftheirishenvironment dot org
Friends of the Irish Environment - Press Release 18th May 2016
The National Parks and Wildlife Service [NPWS] does not have the power to stop the Forest Service permitting forestry felling during the breeding season, even in an area designated for protection under European law.
This has emerged in controversy over the felling of trees at Castleforbes Estate, County Longford, where the local NPWS staff’s request for permission to stop the felling was denied by the Regional Manager of NPWS, who stated that ‘NPWS cannot stop such works and that is in the remit of the Forest Service.’ PRESS RELEASE FRIENDS OF THE IRISH ENVIRONMENT 18 MAY 2016
The National Parks and Wildlife Service [NPWS] does not have the power to stop the Forest Service permitting forestry felling during the breeding season, even in an area designated for protection under European law.
This has emerged in controversy over the felling of trees at Castleforbes Estate, County Longford, where the local NPWS staff’s request for permission to stop the felling was denied by the Regional Manager of NPWS, who stated that ‘NPWS cannot stop such works and that is in the remit of the Forest Service.’
The ancient woodland, first recorded in the 17th century, is protected as an Special Area of Conservation under the Habitats Directive on the shores of the Shannon by Lough Forbes and is a haven for wildlife. Emails released to an environmental group under Access to Information on the Environment show that bats, badgers, pine martens, two breeding buzzards, suspected breeding woodpeckers, breeding red squirrels, breeding ravens and many other species of breeding countryside birds (black cap, missalthrush, etc,)’ were present with ‘merlin recorded on the bog adjoining the woodland.’
Local staff only became aware of new licenses when felling began in February of this year. They were not consulted during the license application process by the Parks and Wildlife Service administration. The District Conservation Officer wrote that he ‘totally agreed’ with the local staff who felt ‘undermined and embarrassed by the manner in which this application was handled by the NPWS’. He urged the Regional Manager to contact the Forest Service ‘in the hope that we can moderate the damage and deflect the bad publicity that will certainly be directed at us.’
A complaint from Friends of the Irish Environment on 4th April 2016 after the closed season for protection of breeding animals had begun to the Forest Service led to the suspension of felling but permission was given for the felling to continue 10 days later
Subsequent formal request under the legislation by the NPWS to the Forest Service on 28 April and 9 May 2016 have been ignored and work is continuing. Last week FIE published photographs of dead birds and their nests on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheIrishEnvironment/
The files also show that the original 2015 licence was for thinning only for ‘firewood’ with a condition prohibiting the felling of oaks. However, a Report drafted by the NPWS in response a Parliamentary Question by James Bannon, TD in December 2015 revealed that ‘most beech’, ‘some ash’, and ‘some oaks’ were in fact removed, stating ‘most oaks trees selected were between 60 and 80 years old, with the occasional older tree.’ The Report was never provided to Deputy Bannon and has not been made public until it was released under this request by FIE.
While an ecological survey was required for the licences by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the files show that this was never undertaken due to a ‘lack of resources’.
Tony Lowes of FIE said that while ‘the Estate wishes to reinstate the woodland to as close to primeval woodland as possible, under the guise of ‘Continuous Forest Cover’ and ‘Low Impact Silivicutural System’, these unique woodlands are being stripped of specimen redwoods, oaks, and ash of the finest quality and the wildlife decimated through a breakdown in the nature conservation system in Ireland.’
‘The function of forest agreed under the Convention for Biodiversity requires Ireland ‘to bring about a measurable improvement in the conservation status of species and habitats that depend on or are affected by forestry.’
‘Ireland is a repeat offender when it comes to failure to assess impact on SACS. The EU Court of Justice has ruled against Ireland before on very similar issues and the Commission will be very unimpressed to see the law flouted and the environment blatantly damaged in this way.’
The areas chosen as SAC in Ireland cover an area of approximately 13,500 sq. km. Roughly 53% is land, the remainder being marine or large lakes.
Clearance and felling operations are continuing in the woodlands this week.
Contact: Tony Lowes 353 (0)87 2176316 / 353 (0)27 74771
EDITORS NOTES
While the original Thinning Licenses issued in 2014 had a condition preventing disturbing the breeding place of a protected species during the closed period, the Parks and Wildlife Service returned the subsequent two 2015 Felling licences to the Forest Service with no requests for conditions.
After complaints, the NPWS issued a formal letter to the Forest Service on 28 April under Regulation 4 of the EC (Forest Consent and Assessment) Regulations recommending that no work take place between 1 April and 1 September. When work continued nonetheless, the letter was reissued on 9 May, 2016. Clearance and felling in the woodland are continuing nonetheless.
ENDS
Friends of the Irish Environment is a non-profit company limited by guarantee registered in
Ireland.
It is a member of the European Environmental Bureau and the Irish Environmental Network.
Tel & Fax: 353 (0)27 74771 / Hotline: 087 2176316
Email: admin@friendsoftheirishenvironment.org
Registered Office: Kilcatherine, Eyeries, Co Cork, Ireland. P75 CX53 Company No. 326985.
Website:
http://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.org/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfTheIrishEnvironment/
|
View Full Comment Text
save preference
Comments (3 of 3)