Sir, - We are a group of 38 German holidaymakers - members of the environmentally orientated "Bund Naturschutz" - who recently spent two weeks in your beautiful country, enjoying the hospitality of the friendly open hearted and helpful people.
To our dismay, however, we were confronted with gigantic afforestation programmes like the ones we saw in Connemara. This shocked us all the more because we have experienced similar problems at home. The German State Forestry now accepts the disastrous long term effects of blanket plantation programmes of conifers in monocultures. We do hope that the same mistakes will not be repeated in Ireland.
Why are the new forests, which are being planted with the help of European taxpayers' money, not native trees in a natural habitat? There seems to be a lack of environmental management, with little regard for diversity or location. The rivers where salmon come to spawn and otters play will be destroyed, due to overshadowing by the trees, over acidification, flash flooding or drought in Germany, the about turn in thought came after the hurricane "Wiebke" destroyed many thousand cubic metres of timber, because it was a monoculture planted in the wrong habitat.
Another thing which disturbed us was the industrialised peat digging. We have been told that landfill is being considered as the solution to the problem of the desert like landscape which results. To dump waste in a hole in the ground is to lay down a toxic time bomb. Where would the seepage water flow to? The peat is gone for ever, but the land should at least be given the chance to recover naturally.
A dump in a bog is no answer to the litter situation, but is the most unsophisticated and unsustainable way of dealing with waste. A recycling plan could be developed for the litter produced by the population and the many visitors. (On this point, is it necessary to pack everything purchased in a plastic bag?)
Our attention was also brought to the discussion about using water from the Curragh to provide more water for Dublin. The long term result would be that the water for the ecologically vital Pollardstown Fen would be reduced, and the fen would dry up. (The fen is described in the Bord Failte publication Ireland Naturally as "the largest remaining spring fed fen in Ireland of international importance"). Could not the answer to the problem be to repair the waterpipes for Dublin? A great many of these old pipes are leaking. That would be a sensible way of using EU taxpayers' money.
During our stay we were able to visit ecologically intact, protected areas and we heard from the local specialists the problems they come up against - little appreciation or esteem, and little or no financial assistance. They really deserve more - maybe some more attention from the local councillors? They - ecologists and reserves - are as important to the tourist industry as the many heritage centres.
Please protect your wonderful country, it is your richest asset. Most visitors come to Ireland to enjoy the unspoiled landscape and the intact flora and fauna. Don't disappoint them, and think about what you owe to the next generation. We hope that it will be understood that we decided to write this letter because of our own personal experiences and concern for the environment. - Yours, etc., and the 36 other visitors, Schonfelderstrasse 8/1, 8000 Munchen 22, Germany.