The devastating impacts vast tree plantation plans can have on rural communities and Welsh culture were highlighted in a recent meeting between Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) members and Aberconwy MP Robin Millar.
Hosting the meeting at their farm at Llechwedd Hafod in Cwm Penmachno were FUW Caernarfonshire County Executive Committee member Dafydd Gwyndaf and his wife Anwen. Mr Gwyndaf gave a presentation on how the Forestry Commission, as it was previously known, bought many of the farms on one side of the valley and planted trees on the land from the 1940’s to the 1960’s .
“Afforestation has resulted in too many people leaving the area and has resulted in over 30% of the houses in the area being turned into second homes or AirBnB. It is having a detrimental effect on the community, it’s culture and consequently the Welsh language. The depopulation of Cwm Penmachno and Penmachno villages is living proof of the result of large-scale afforestation and we don’t want to see the same happening to other communities,” said Mr Gwyndaf.