The changing relationships between forestry and the local community in rural northwestern IrelandAn earlier version of this paper was presented at the IUFRO 3.08 conference “Small-scale Forestry and Rural Development,” 18–23 June 2006, Galway, Ireland.

Abstract

Following centuries of deforestation, Ireland has undergone a substantial afforestation programme in the last 40 years. This paper presents the results of a case study undertaken to examine local response to afforestation. The study is set in Arigna, a region in northwestern Ireland that has traditionally depended on agriculture but has experienced relatively high rates of afforestation in recent decades. Relying on documentary evidence and in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with local stakeholders, the results suggest more local resistance to afforestation than one might expect in a country that has historically experienced such massive deforestation. Among the reasons uncovered for this resistance is the history of land tenure in rural Ireland, the institutional means by which afforestation has been conducted, the tree species used, and the aesthetic appearance of the forest stands once established. Underlying all of this is an apparently widespread local perception that forestry has benefited outsiders more than locals. Yet, the study also documents local perceptions that those responsible for afforestation have responded to concerns and that resistance to afforestation may be declining, as well as the reasons for this decline. The paper concludes with a discussion of the importance of local history and community involvement in developing socially acceptable forestry.