Environmental Statement for ERA20/21-56

Overview

ERA20/21-56 Proposed afforestation : Gortgarn, Dungiven Grid Ref C 72296 12904

Forest Service, an Agency of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has received an application for consent in respect of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (as amended). Forest Service consulted on the original proposal to afforest 12.86 hectares to convert the land-use to woodland. Taking account of the responses received, it concluded that the project was considered likely to have a significant effect on the environment.

An environmental statement has now been submitted describing a revised proposal to afforest 6.8 hectares and managing the remaining area as priority grassland habitat or existing native woodland priority habitat. The environmental statement sets out the likely environmental effects of the revised proposal on behalf of the applicant.

The Department is now consulting on the revised proposal and will consider all responses before deciding whether to grant consent. Consent will be given in the absence of any objection in relation to the likely environmental effects of the project and if the Department’s assessment of the environmental information and the direct and indirect effects of the proposal on the environment concludes that the project should proceed.

The environmental statement has been placed on the Department’s website https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/environmental-impact-assessments

Any person wishing to comment on the likely environmental effects of the above project may do so using the website link above or by writing on or before 26 July 2021 to Forest Service, Policy and Regulation Branch, Inishkeen House, Killyhevlin, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh BT74 4EJ or by emailing forest.regulation@daera-ni.gov.uk.

If you cannot access this information, please contact Policy and Regulation Branch at 028 6634 3034 or email forest.regulation@daera-ni.gov.uk.