The petition
Coillte, the state owned Irish Forestry Company have listed a large program of deforrestation for the Dublin Wicklow area. This will affect the areas for all groups that enjoy the mountains not just mountain bikers. We need to make our voices heard to try and save as much as we can. They may not be massive rain forests but they are what makes this the emerald isle!!
The following is a list of some of their plans:
- Slievethoul, commonly know as Slade Valley, the site of two of the XC NPS rounds last year is nearly all coming down.
- Cloon Upper, the site of a round of the DH NPS last year, and currently hosting two rounds of the DH Winter league is virtually all coming down over the summer.
- On Three Rock, the patch of forest on the east side of the hill is coming down. This is the patch on your right if you are coming up the fireroad on the east side of the hill (the climb out of the old MAD circuit). There are a few old trails in it, most notably part of the WORC club course.
- The forests at the back of the masts on three rock are to be thinned, but not felled. This is the wood contain Daggets trail and the upper half of the new DH trial that appeared last summer.
- A section of forestry along the road at Tibradden, This once had part of the older WORC club course but I don't think its currently being used.
- A very small section of Cruagh, near the road, again it does not look like it affects any trails.
- In Djouce the large block on your right as you climb the red (now blue) road is going. There is a good trails in here, "Ack" I think its called.
- A block of forestry below the middle carpark in Djouce. From their map it does not look as it they are going as far down as Ecstasy, so it may be ok. The upper section of forestry along the road between the middle and third car parks is also going.
- Carrickgallogan was mentioned in the notice, here only a small pocket of forestry is due to be felled. Three hectares in the middle of the property, I am not aware of any trails in use in this patch.
- Other areas, which I don't believe are used by bikers, include Crooksling just off the N81, some of the lower wood on the side of Seahaun, Part of Piperstown (on your right driving to the feather beds), parts of Cloon lower.
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