Enough ! Turf Cutting Prohibition on Raised Bogs

[citizen pat]

The State is gearing up to take on turf cutters on EU designated Special Areas of Conservation.
The turf cutters claim that compensation packages are not adequate and wish to cut turf for their own homes .For many turf cutters living in fairly poor rural areas and many on welfare payments ,
having access to their own fuel is important .
The State fears being fined by the EU if turf cutting is not ended and is adopting a hard line .
Rural communities are organised to take on the National Parks Service in its attempts to enforce the
ending of turf cutting.
Commercil style turf cutting is one thing, but it is ordinary people cutting from their own turf banks
who are now the focus for the enforcement of the ending of turf cutting in the SACs.

Has the state gone too far with these designations ?
what is so special about Irish raised bogs that rural communities are now in a face off with
conservationists ?
why cant the state come up with adequate compensation?

The sites were designated over 10 years ago
10 years! and in that time nothing has been done to sort the problem .
Its disgraceful.....

[jo9jo]

whats the story with blanket bogs?

[goosebump]

what is so special about Irish raised bogs that rural communities are now in a face off with
conservationists?

They're the last active raised bogs on the European Continent.

In any other country, people would be celebrating their conservation, not burning them.

[bluefirelog]

Commercil style turf cutting is one thing, but it is ordinary people cutting from their own turf banks
who are now the focus for the enforcement of the ending of turf cutting in the SACs.

... I don't know if it's true or not, but someone told me that a lot of this is not ordinary people going out with their spade as in the good old days. This is people going down with machinery such as farm machinery and causing major damage... as I said I don't know how much truth there is in that. Probably some still using the spades and then others abusing this a bit?

[Thekinghasnoclothes]

They're the last active raised bogs on the European Continent.

In any other country, people would be celebrating their conservation, not burning them.

Is Bord na Mona burning them on a vast scale while nailing small domestic operators?

The bogs will grow again just like trees.

[H.R. Haldeman]

Anyone remember one of the Rocky movies where he falls on hard times and needs to sell his belts?

Rock takes a hammer and chisel, and hacks the jewels and bits of gold from one of the belts. He brings these pieces to the pawn broker.

"Where's the belt, Rock?" asks the pawn broker. "I wanted the belt."

[Lonewolfe]

Is Bord na Mona burning them on a vast scale while nailing small domestic operators?

The bogs will grow again just like trees.

Ah yea, just a few millenia and they'll be back.

[jo9jo]

.....

[Kitty O'Shea]

There was an article publishing explaining the logic behind this ban, going from memory. Unlike Bord na Mona's cutting machine; they tend to skim the surface of the bog. The public digging out turf is deeper into the bog therefore more damaging to the structure of the bog. I'll try to find the article.

[Thekinghasnoclothes]

There was an article publishing explaining the logic behind this ban, going from memory. Unlike Bord na Mona's cutting machine; they tend to skim the surface of the bog. The public digging out turf is deeper into the bog therefore more damaging to the structure of the bog. I'll try to find the article.

Bord na Mona drain the bogs permanently. A drained bog degrades and give off lots of CO2.