The European Commission is backing a €12.5 million investment in Irish forestry by the European Investment Bank.

The €12.5 million is to support continuous cover forestry, providing an alternative to clear felling that leaves hillsides bare.

“Agriculture and forestry play a key role as custodians of natural capital and the agri food sector is an essential and integral part of any solution to ultimately deliver natural capital imperatives for rural areas and society as a whole. This new forestry investment in Ireland, with participation of the EU’s LIFE Programme and the European Investment Bank, shows how conservation considerations can be combined with commercial activity,” said Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture.

The SLM Silva Fund will work with commercial forest schemes across Ireland to encourage Continuous Cover Forestry. It aims to create productive forests which are more resilient to pests and diseases, as well as avoiding the negative impacts on soil and water resources of conventional practices.

The new investment “will demonstrate how best practice in Ireland’s world-class forestry industry can take better account of the need to safeguard biodiversity, soils and landscapes, and help resist the threats associated with climate change”, said Andrew McDowell, vice president of the European Investment Bank responsible for Ireland.

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