Coillte

The Coillte case study site is managed by Irish state-owned commercial forestry business Coillte, based in Derryclare, to the west of Lough Inagh and Derryclare Lough in Connemara. 

The case study zone is an area of plantation conifer forestry on blanket bog and heath. This iconic site contains areas of high biodiversity value and is in a highly sensitive water catchment area, offering great potential for redesign and restoration.

Coillte aims to redesign 30,000 ha by 2050 through tree removal and restoration of felled areas.

Challenges

Some of the challenges the case study is aiming to overcome include the damage from a large, historic fire in 2012, which burnt 20 ha, as well as tackling ongoing standard forestry clear felling.

Meet the Team

  • Niall Ó Brolcháin

    Niall leads the ASPECT unit (Analytics for Sustainable Policy towards Environmental and Climate Transition) at the Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics in the University of Galway in Ireland. He specializes in LULUCF policy and peatland policy relating to climate and biodiversity in particular. He formerly worked as a Senator in the Irish Parliament and was elected as part of the Agricultural panel.

Case studies

  • Antarr

    Managed by Sustainable Productive Forests company Antarr.

  • Gelderse Poort

    Managed by Staatsbosbeheer, the Dutch government organization in charge of management and conservation of forests.

  • Ruhrgebiet

    Managed by German government institutions and organisations Rheinelbe, Zeche Zollverein, Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, Naturerfahrungsraum Peisberg and Gleispark Frintrop.

  • Sabor

    Managed by CIBIO, the Portuguese Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources.

  • Sveaskog

    Managed by Sveaskog, a Swedish, state-owned forest owner.

  • Tatras

    Managed by the Slovakian National Park of High Tatras (TANAP).

  • Barcelona Metropolitan Region

    Managed by CREAF Ecological and Forestry Applications Research Centre.