Forest Reconstitution Scheme has been closed

By Donal Magner

The Forest Reconstitution Scheme (FRS), relaunched last year has been listed as one of the support measures that will no longer be funded.

The FRS provided grant aid when damage to a plantation occurred, usually as a result of fire and natural causes such as frost, windblow and insect pest and disease attack.

The demise of the FRS is worrying for owners of plantations that have failed for any of these reasons because they are legally obliged to replant. While the FRS was never designed to fully compensate a grower for damage to a crop, it was a vital grant to help re-establish a plantation.

Donal Whelan, technical director, ITGA said that the scheme is an important safety net for new forest owners and its suspension, he said, "would have serious implications for forest owners who have experienced forest fires or other significant natural damage to their plantation''. There is an obligation on afforestation grant recipients for at least 10 years to replant their forest after damage by fire or other causes.

In the past, the farsighted FRS was available to cover replanting costs. However, as this scheme appears to be currently suspended, forest owners would have to cover the replanting costs themselves, which are significant.

Donal Whelan said: "It is strongly recommended that all timber growers check their forest fire insurances, in particular, to ensure that they are covered for the cost of replanting in addition to any loss of investment cover they may have so as they are not exposed in the event of a fire on their property.''

FRS applied to plantations over a wide age range. For example, in the case of windblow, a reconstitution grant is normally allowable where the damage occurs before the plantation reaches two-thirds of its rotation.