The December 2019 Forestry Monthly Report (FMR) results show that afforestation continues to fall, while forest road approvals are up (Table 1). Felling licence approvals were down, but a breakdown of data between licences issued to Coillte and private forest owners is no longer being made available.

Issued by the Forest Service, FMRs are crucial in assessing the overall performance of the forestry sector, as they provide monthly data for private afforestation, harvest roading and felling.

Despite the Government’s commitment to an annual 8,000ha planting programme, interest in afforestation, especially by farmers, continues to decline

Important information on private felling licence applications and approvals was withdrawn last May. Instead, combined data is now provided for Coillte and the private sector.

Maintaining a sustainable forestry programme depends on viable afforestation levels as well as access to existing crops at the production phase. All the activities in forestry including afforestation, roading and harvesting have slowed down due to the introduction of Appropriate Assessment Procedure (AAP) for licensing.

Afforestation

Afforestation at 3,366ha is the lowest outturn for 70 years. Despite the Government’s commitment to an annual 8,000ha planting programme, interest in afforestation, especially by farmers, continues to decline.

Form 1 submissions, which are the first tangible expression of interest in planting, have also decreased. They have fallen steadily from a high of 19,967ha in 2013 to 7,756ha last year.

While 384km of forest roads were completed in the last five years, grant aid applications were made for 1,133km

The gap between Form 1s (applications), technical approvals and eventual Form 2s (financial approvals) has been historically wide, as farmers who express initial interest don’t always follow through and plant.

Delays in approval have led to farmers losing interest, according to some forestry companies. The delay between applications and technical approval was partially addressed in recent years, but last year the gap widened as 4,436ha were technically approved out of 7,756ha of applications.

Forest roads

Forest road construction is the first major post-crop establishment operation. It demonstrates active forest management as well as being a good indicator of short-term timber harvesting in the private sector.

Last year, 91km of forest roads were completed compared with 74km in 2018 (Table 1).

This improvement is encouraging, but it is well below what is required. While 384km of forest roads were completed in the last five years, grant aid applications were made for 1,133km.

The forest road planning process is delayed due to planning and excessive demands by local authorities.

In some instances, forest owners are being asked to pay a €50,000 bond per site while public road improvement work is also sought. Requirements vary between county councils, which could be standardised if the Department implemented a single consent system as recommended in 2018 by its advisory body COFORD.

Felling licences

After roading, felling licence applications and approvals are reliable indicators of forest activity, especially wood mobilisation. Like afforestation, felling licence applications are caught up in AAP to such an extent that many forestry contractors are now out of work.

While Table 2 gives the impression that sufficient felling licences were approved in 2019, the reality is that private forestry companies are experiencing major delays in receiving approvals.

In addition, Coillte has deferred timber sale auctions until March, as the required volumes of timber are not available due to delays in felling licence approvals.

All the activities in forestry including afforestation, roading and harvesting have slowed down due to the introduction of Appropriate Assessment Procedure

Table 2 provides data for both private and Coillte felling licence applications and approvals. Since last May, the Department has refused to provide a breakdown of data for Coillte and private forest owners despite protests from the sector.

It is difficult to get a complete picture of the shortfall in felling licence approvals from FMRs. Most applications are rarely approved within the calendar year, so there is considerable overlap.

For example, approvals could exceed applications if large scale felling licences were issued to Coillte the year after the company applied for block licences.

In addition, forest owners who receive felling licences may use them over a 10-year period for thinning and eventually clearfell, so they may be included in clearfell and thinning columns (see Table 2), although there are few of these in the system.

The best way to assess the ratio of felling licence applications to approvals is to average them over a period of time, which we have done in Table 2.

In a five-year period, 54,462ha of clearfelling licences were approved out of 69,535ha applications. Thinning licence approvals amounted to 267,597ha, compared with 299,897ha of applications.

Last year, applications were made for 20,175ha of clearfells, while only 9,626ha were approved. A 10,549ha shortfall of this magnitude could amount to 4,000,000m3 of timber if predominantly spruce. This is equivalent to a year’s timber production.