Large tonnages of windblown timber will be potentially available for sale across Northern Ireland in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn.
However, a leading forester has highlighted the need for this resource to be managed carefully.
John Hetherington, who is managing director of Premier Woodlands, explained: “It’s imperative that such stocks are managed in ways that do not flood the timber market.
“Northern Ireland’s private forestry sector is still in a fledgling state. It is only now that plantations established 25 [or more] years ago are coming to maturity.”
Hetherington told Agriland that timber must be allowed to make realistic prices on an open market.
“The recent complete cessation on unsawn timber coming in from Scotland, following the confirmation of bark beetles within a shipment, should helped reinforce Irish timber prices,” he continued.
“But this encouraging trend could be quickly reversed if [NI] Forest Service decides to impact the market with large additional volumes of timber generated in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn.”
Windblown damage
Another impact of recent storms has been the damage caused to power lines by falling trees within commercial plantations.
Hetherington believes there is a very straightforward solution to this issue.
He explained: “Planting trees up to 30m from power lines and/or putting enhanced insulation on the lines themselves would be a key step forward in this regard, as would be the placing of power lines underground in the proximity of forestry and woodland plantations.
“In the case of establishing wider wayleaves, forestry owners should have the unfettered right to negotiate timber loss compensation agreements directly with Northern Ireland Electricity, without any Forest Service input.
“However, this is not allowed by the Forest Service at the present time when FES or SWGS applications are submitted; it is a matter that should be reviewed by all the relevant agencies as a matter of priority,” he continued.
Storm Éowyn has also thrown up other challenges for Northern Ireland’s private forestry sector.
Hetherington said: “Despite the fact that many thousands of commercially grown trees were toppled in the storm, plantation owners are still required to secure felling licences before they can harvest the fallen trees.
“Given current circumstances and the fact that so many trees fell over in their entirety, this is an unnecessary administrative burden, with no quick emergency application procedure available.
“It could take weeks or months for licences to be issued. Meanwhile, plantation owners will be forced to delay work that could and should be undertaken immediately,” he finished.
