Leitrim County Council has been urged by An Taisce not to "dump" its county heritage officer because of the "major challenges" it faces in regulating development.
It described the council's decision to discontinue a three-year heritage officer programme, funded by the Heritage Council, as "a retrograde step" which it had requested Leitrim to reconsider.
"This comes just after the abolition of Dúchas and the recent claim by the Minister for the Environment that local authorities are to take increased responsibility for heritage protection," An Taisce said.
"Leitrim County Council's exercise of its heritage responsibilities is already very poor as it has no architectural conservation officer to advise on architectural heritage issues.
"Leitrim faces major challenges through conifer forestry, rural housing, tourism investment and wind energy development, which need to be reconciled with strategic heritage protection," An Taisce said.
Yet the council had already amended its county development plan to downgrade areas of outstanding natural beauty or high visual amenity "at the very time when Ireland signed the draft European Landscape Convention".
An Taisce also complained about the "exceptionally poor quality" of the design and siting of new houses in Co Leitrim, which in many cases were adding to water pollution risks through the proliferation of septic tanks.
"The management of the Shannon as a natural and amenity resource needs an active co-ordinated role with other counties and agencies, where the role of the local authority heritage officers was intended to be crucial," it said.
An Taisce said Ireland was required to protect natural heritage, landscape, architectural heritage and archaeology.