Save Leitrim Environmental and Biodiversity CLG

Save Leitrim Environmental and Biodiversity Company Limited by Guarantee is a volunteer‑run organisation dedicated to safeguarding the people, farms and wildlife of County Leitrim from the impacts of commercial monoculture forestry. By campaigning for a fair, sustainable forestry model that serves communities rather than pure profit, the group works to keep unsuitable conifer plantations out of peatlands, high‑nature‑value farmland, and the immediate surroundings of homes, schools and local services.

The core activity of Save Leitrim is to organise and submit formal objections to planning applications that would place new Sitka‑spruce plantations in inappropriate locations. Through public awareness initiatives, community workshops and liaison with local authorities, the charity highlights the wider consequences of unchecked forestry – rising land prices, loss of agricultural land, increased flood risk, power outages and the erosion of habitats for protected birds and insects. While not opposed to all tree‑planting, the group advocates for forestry practices that respect the county’s ecological balance and support the long‑term viability of rural life.