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Campaigners are trying to save a line of oak trees that run paralell to Greenbank Industrial Estate in Newry. Some of the trees are around 200 years old.
Local man Eamonn Burke started the campaign after recent flood alleviation works carried out in the area saw several trees removed.
The scheme is part of a larger flood alleviation scheme in the Newry area by the Department for Infrastructure and involves 760m of flood defence with the construction of two flood defence walls along Knox-Pebbles Drain bank at Greenbank Industrial Estate.
MP Mickey Brady and Community Activist John McCabe met with DFI representatives earlier this week on site to discuss the matter.
Mr Brady said "At the meeting I urged the rivers agency to work with the community and campaigners around their plans so that the public have a voice on the issues at the site."
John McCabe believes the Dfi is not giving any undertaking to reverse their intentions of removing the trees, citing flood prevention.
At the meeting McCabe said that the stretch of water which the trees border was not tidal water but a shuck and giving the very high levels of rainfall of late the shuck had not risen in depth and added that the contested site where the trees where located had no history of flooding but it had further south bound close to Greenbank Roundabout."
He added that the Dfi had given a commitment to hold a future meeting with environmental stakeholders and others.
Newry.ie have asked the DFI for comment but haven't received a reply to date.
