Hi, all. I’m sure we’re all aware as to why Coillte have been in the news recently. For those who aren’t, please follow the below link:
[https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2023/0106/1345241-gresham-house-forest-investment/](https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2023/0106/1345241-gresham-house-forest-investment/)
I previously (up until two years ago) worked as a sub-contracted ecologist for Coillte before what remained of my moral compass told me that it was time to seek plantations new. I could have left it at that and continued to turn a blind eye to what I experienced first-hand at Coillte but I also felt a duty to tell my story as to just how fucked up the internal workings of the semi-state body are.
First and foremost, I think it’s important to acknowledge that Coillte’s hands are tied on a great number of issues that the public obsessively (and often ignorantly) nitpick at. They are, at the end of the day, a **commercial** entity, not a charity charged with planting swathes of native broadleaved woodland. That, as much as Sitka Spruce is publicly despised, would be antithetical to sustainable forestry. However, the blatant disregard for the environment that I’ve witnessed from Coillte employees goes far beyond anything that I’m willing to remain hush-hush about and stand idly by. For those of ye who don’t have an understanding of the planning process, Appropriate Assessment forms a key component in the either granting or refusal of planning submissions. Usually, interested parties will either use their own internal ecology teams or hire external staff to complete the inordinately detailed work necessary to inform the Competent Authority and allow them to reach a judgement as to whether works will get the green light. This goes for any proposed development, from single-houses to large-scale windfarms. What do Coillte do, though? They conduct a lazy, inadequate desk assessments based on surveys conducted by foresters, who wholly lack the expertise to accurately map features of potential interest. Further to this, the senior members of Coillte’s internal ecology team are amongst the most incorruptible people I’ve ever encountered in a professional capacity. They utterly lack the integrity required to consider oneself an “ecologist”. I’ve seen them:
\- Disregard proposed hydrocarbon mitigations leading to pollutants entering watercourses less than 1 km downstream of a Special Area of Conservation;- Say “Fuck ye” to NPWS breeding Hen Harrier records and clearfell during the birds breeding season;- Chop down beautiful mature broadleaved trees, despite their standard calls for “broadleaves to be retained on site”;- Fail to put in place sufficient setbacks for forestry adjacent to a red catchment designated for the protected of Freshwater Pearl Mussel;- I could keep going for days.
They do all this because at the end of the day, the government have a vested interest in Coillte and they know full-well that they’ll either be let off the hook or only receive slap-on-the-wrist punishments for their misconduct. They have, admittedly, made increased efforts with regard to habitat restoration, such as the rewetting of peatlands across the country, but this is out of obligation rather than voluntary changes in policy for the betterment of the environment. All-in-all, pressure must continue to be applied to Coillte until such a point that its helms are manned by people who actually give a shit about the land beneath their feet and not the greenwashed pounds in their pockets. I won’t be replying to comments on this, lads. Slán.
TLDR: I worked for Coillte. Their internal ecology team demonstrate almost total disregard for the environment. Coillte has a future but requires an overhaul. We must intensify and maintain public pressure.
Edit: to avoid the hilariously unlikely scenario someone from Coillte tracks me down and sends their lawyers after me.
19 comments
Fair enough. Can’t say I understand the intricacies but if your experience is, it’s a semi state shitshow, well, it scans with all the other debacles. Your view is important, if you are who you say you are (and I believe you). The forest situation in Ireland is uniquely bad.
Why isn’t minster Hackett all over this? Does she know or is she culpable? Is this not the main reason she was appointed a super junior minister? I’d start with reporting these things to her then hit the media up.
I can’t believe this is the same organization that the government allows to manage 7% of the entirety of the land in the Republic of Ireland. We need a national parks or forestry service with a proper directive to take over the management of these lands!!
I’ve said it here a number of times, Coillte should be downsized to the size needed to supply domestic timber, <10% of what they grow now. 90% is cheap softwood for export. The profits of which pale in comparison to the environmental damage and lost environmental and ecological opportunities. Maintaining the status-quo, farming dark rows of sitka spruce, choking our countryside.
Coilltes’ awful stewardship and poor environmental record was also defended as a source of rural jobs, but they no longer employ that many people because of increased mechanization in the last 20 years. So they’re not saying that as much as they used to. Also, the fact that management of native forestry would require more employment but less revenue is also a touchy subject for them.
Coillte is easy money that no politician has the balls to do away with. Ireland needs to take back management of this land and stop the horrible practices Coillte are carrying out.
Sounds about right. 23 years ago I was doing a course that included studying the state of irish forestry and coillte. It was a shambles back then and it clearly hasn’t changed. Tragic
Would you be willing to join our group? it’s called Croí na Chre. You can find us on Instagram. Would really value your insight in our campaign to stop this land grab.
> the senior members of Coillte’s internal ecology team are amongst the most corrupt people I’ve ever encountered in a professional capacity.
I’m no lawyer but if I was a senior member of Coillte’s ecology team I’d be looking for one if I read this.
Alot of government organizations become very complacent and even corrupt given time.
For an internal joinery project I was engaged in, high end residential job. Client had insisted on Coillte supplied material for the job. Ash. After delivery delays the timber arrived. It was in terrible condition. It had not been adequately dried, I couldn’t believe what the moisture meter was telling me. The wettest wood by far I had ever received. The boards had lots of knots, wavey edges, just shambolic. We had to explain to the client that this work can’t go ahead because the timber needs to go into a kiln for a 5-6 weeks and even then we will be salvaging bits and sealing others, and struggle to get long lengths. Everyone’s perception of Coillte as a supplier of quality timber went straight out the window.
Go through the proper channels to expose it.
It may feel good getting it off your chest and posting on reddit but you’re pissing in the wind
As you’ve touched on… The problem with coillte is that the government of Ireland have left a commercial entity in charge of our forestry. This means they have a conflict of interest when it comes to planting native broadleaves. They also have a conflict of interest when it comes to protecting habitats. By all means there is a place for an entity like Coillte, but they are not fit for purpose when it comes to protection of the environment. This is one case where we should look across the pond at the USAs national parks service.
Looks over at BNM….
Ok, I’m convinced, let’s sell it off to the highest bidder, a fully private company will definitely be more environmentally friendly.
Can I ask, what was your purpose of posting this now?
Fucking hell that is depressing
Coillte clearfelled a section of woodland near me and left the mature oaks that had (accidentally?) been bulldozed lying on the ground to rot. Whoever was employed doing that has only half a functioning brain. It was absolute destruction, it looked like a bomb had gone off, with big craters in the ground, and trees ripped off halfway up the trunks. Lots were left leaning onto others.
Would reporting the specific breaches in environmental protocal that you mentioned to the Forest Service not get some kind of action taken?
The Forest Service has to issue felling licences to Coilte as well and I presume can reprimand them. If you report something to the forest service, I’d suggest by email so you have a record, then there is some chance of someone being accountable. If you’re afraid of getting your name blackened in the industry then use a fake name.
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>They are, at the end of the day, a commercial entity, not a charity
This here is the issue. It shouldn’t be operated as a commercial entity.
The problem with Coillte is that exists at all. If it had much less land to tend to growing Sitka spruce then there’d be much less of an issue, but they do have a lot of land that could go to replanting native woods, and unfortunately they exist to make money.
Can’t blame Coillte for the mandate given them by the government, but I’m not going to ignore all of that wasted potential either because the state wants to make some quick money by acidifying the soil.
Depressing reading 😞
Is it true collite use the clearfell method only and that there is an alternative method used in Europe that doesn’t leave a nasty scar on the landscape.