Turf Cutting Ban

zetorman · 30-01-2012 6:15pm #1

Heard a lot about this turf cutting ban but never dreamed it would land at my own door !!!!!
This week our local paper "The Sligo Champion" has a new list of all the local bogs where turf cutting is now banned .....including my own bog. Seems to me that every bog within a 20 mile radius is on this list. The notice says we should have got letters but so far no one in my area have got letters.
Does anyone out there know what the real story is on this matter ?????:mad:

Milton09 · 30-01-2012 6:25pm

zetorman wrote: »

Heard a lot about this turf cutting ban but never dreamed it would land at my own door !!!!!
This week our local paper "The Sligo Champion" has a new list of all the local bogs where turf cutting is now banned .....including my own bog. Seems to me that every bog within a 20 mile radius is on this list. The notice says we should have got letters but so far no one in my area have got letters.
Does anyone out there know what the real story is on this matter ?????:mad:

Is that in last weeks edition zetorman?

mantua · 30-01-2012 7:36pm

Until you get a private letter stating you can't cut on your bog keep cutting.

mountainy man · 30-01-2012 8:21pm

Hi Zetorman , do you have a link to this or can you post the list please, just had a look on champion site and no joy, thanks.

allanpkr · 31-01-2012 11:59am

i need a bog this year and im sorry but ban or no ban i need turf , im cutting .time to say enough is enough, tds up there on 70000 + telling rural people and others you cant cut turf buy expensive timber that burns too slow. COME ON IRELAND FIGHT. i am not a turf cutter, just someone that wants to keep my family warm next winter.

zetorman · 31-01-2012 5:02pm

Yes its in Sligo Champion dated Wed jan 25th. Its on page 8.

Tora Bora · 31-01-2012 5:16pm

zetorman wrote: »

Heard a lot about this turf cutting ban but never dreamed it would land at my own door !!!!!
This week our local paper "The Sligo Champion" has a new list of all the local bogs where turf cutting is now banned .....including my own bog. Seems to me that every bog within a 20 mile radius is on this list. The notice says we should have got letters but so far no one in my area have got letters.
Does anyone out there know what the real story is on this matter ?????:mad:

But you will be fine, as you are a Zetor man! There is a special dispensation for Zetor owners, to recognise the hardship they go through on a daily basis, putting up with comments and funny looks, from the rest of the tractor community:cool:
Keep cutting, and keep burning, and if you get any hassle from any one in authority, give a buzz to :cool:

allanpkr · 31-01-2012 11:31pm

EU DONT CUT RAISED BOGS IT MAY DAMAGE THE FAUNA

BUT ITS OK TO PUMP MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF CHEMICALS INTO GROUND FOR FRACKING, I MEAN SO WHAT IF WE DRINK CONTAMINATED WATER. EU JUST SAID NO NEED FOR LEGISLATION INTO FRACKING . i think its time to stand up and be counted

Uriel. · 01-02-2012 1:09am

allanpkr wrote: »

i need a bog this year and im sorry but ban or no ban i need turf , im cutting .time to say enough is enough, tds up there on 70000 + telling rural people and others you cant cut turf buy expensive timber that burns too slow. COME ON IRELAND FIGHT. i am not a turf cutter, just someone that wants to keep my family warm next winter.

Why are you burning wood? or Oil? or Coal for that matter?

Just get turf. 53 bogs are affected. That's a drop in the ocean compared to total number of bogs in Ireland.

None of this is new. it has been on the cards for 10 years and it has been highly publicized for the past 12 months

Uriel. · 01-02-2012 1:10am

mantua wrote: »

Until you get a private letter stating you can't cut on your bog keep cutting.

that's not how the law works

Suckler · 01-02-2012 1:17pm

Uriel. wrote: »

None of this is new. it has been on the cards for 10 years and it has been highly publicized for the past 12 months

Exactly, it's not something that has been landed on us yesterday and it's been explained why. Ten years is long enough to stock pile and install a new heating system. We've been stopped and made suitable arrangements for this, why couldn't everyone else? As usual ,bury the head and ignore it and it mighn't happen.

No6 · 01-02-2012 5:06pm

Its the same in Mayo, you need to check if your bog is in an SAC (special area of conservation) They have listed entire townlands but all of the bog in that townland may not be restricted!!

Avns1s · 01-02-2012 5:25pm

I came across a map of the River Moy SAC in Mayo that was furnished to farmers about 2006. What that SEEMED to show that the SAC extended to a small area either side of rivers and streams that were tributories of the River Moy. Where these streams and rivers extend into bogs the entire townland is listed but I would hope and expect that it would be just the few metres (I dont know what it is specifically) either side of the streams and rivers that is affected.

Most if not all, of the bogs listed in the Mayo list of the Moy SAC are (AFAIK) blanket bogs rather than raised bogs so I assume that this has more to do with the river than the flora and fauna of the bog itself.

Not one to be on the wrong side of the law on anything but I am with Mantua on this one, unless you are specifically told not to cut in your bog, I would fire ahead. In addition, if I am wrong on my assumption above, there will soon be no turf at all cut in the central, east and north east parts of county Mayo. It's a pity that NPWS, when they come along and publish a list like this, wouldn't clarify the situation precisely and not (as I hope they are doing) scare the shite out of people unnecessarily.

No6 · 01-02-2012 5:41pm

The maps are available online at the NPWS website, its a bit fiddly to get the viewer down to the level where you can see your bog but it is can be done. It will show the outline of the SAC and it is within them that the turf cutting will be banned.

allanpkr · 01-02-2012 6:46pm

POINT 1 if there are no bogs in given area you can hardly travel miles to get turf,just not practical.

point 2. suckler i did not bury my head in sand as you so arrogantly point out, your point seems to be " i had to change why shouldnt other people have to as well". well maybe some of us have more back bone and dont roll over and die.

point 3. EU want to save the raised bogs cause they are fast disappearing and want to save the habitat. EU also want septic tanks inspected( not opposed to this) but why should owners foot bill houses on public sewage systems dont pay for maintenance on them. AT same time EU thinks its ok to pump 1000s of gallons of chemicals into ground for fracking, which will end up in ground water!!! but again i suspect you will just accept this as well.

Avns1s · 01-02-2012 7:15pm

No6 wrote: »

The maps are available online at the NPWS website, its a bit fiddly to get the viewer down to the level where you can see your bog but it is can be done. It will show the outline of the SAC and it is within them that the turf cutting will be banned.

I eventually found the maps on the NPWS site and navigated to two of the townlands listed in the Moy SAC list as per the papers last week. Neither have ANY markings as regards the Moy SAC. So the map is not particularly helpful.

Uriel. · 01-02-2012 8:56pm

As far as i can see after doing a small bit lf research is that only about 5 raised bogs are affected in the Moy complex. Just throw your townland name into the npws map viewer and it will zoom straight to your townland and show the designations nearby. Its pretty straightforward.

Just be wary about this "if i am not told, then ill just cut" ignorance of the law is not a valid defence. Thats been tested across the board in all types of legislation. Plus with public adverts being placed by the npws you wont have any excuse in terms of the legal process.

djmc · 02-02-2012 8:28am

Not all SACs have a ban on turf cutting

zetorman · 03-02-2012 12:24pm

Great news !!! Made contact with our local wildlife ranger and it seems the DEpt messed up their advert. All town lands named are in the R Moy network. Either the main river or a feeder stream etc flow through the named townlands. But only a very small percentage of these townlands are hit by the turf cutting ban. All we need now is fine weather ???????????

Avns1s · 03-02-2012 3:42pm

zetorman wrote: »

Great news !!! Made contact with our local wildlife ranger and it seems the DEpt messed up their advert. All town lands named are in the R Moy network. Either the main river or a feeder stream etc flow through the named townlands. But only a very small percentage of these townlands are hit by the turf cutting ban. All we need now is fine weather ???????????

Well done Zetorman. Thanks for posting. Seems to be almost official confirmation of what I was saying in my earlier post.

Now, those ads carried a line that there shall be no turfcutting on the listed bog "without the express permission of the Minister" or words to that effect. NPWS should really come out with a new advert and clarify the exact areas affected and undertake to make contact with all of those who are not going to be allowed to cut turf on some or all of their bogs. This would give the very large percentage of bogowners who are not affected some degree of comfort in respect of this matter.

Turf Cutting Ban

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