Scotland has 1.44 million ha of forest or 18% of the land area. The land area of Scotland and the island of Ireland are almost the same, yet Scotland has a far more ambitious afforestation programme.

Forestry Commission Scotland set a target of an additional 100,000ha afforestation over the period 2012-2022, which it is on course to achieving. At current afforestation rates, Ireland will achieve 68,000ha during the same period. Over 10,000ha is expected to be planted in Scotland in 2018-2019, over double the Irish programme.

Confor

Why such a difference? One reason has been the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor), founded in 2004. Confor has been a major influence in promoting forestry in the UK, but its greatest success has been in Scotland.

Confor represents the views of the forestry and the forest products sector – nurseries to manufacturing – to the UK Forestry Commission (FC), government and policymakers.

Despite the success of forestry in Scotland, Confor believes it can do better. It recently outlined actions that need to be taken in a submission on the UK draft Environment Bill, which sets out how the UK government will maintain environmental standards after it leaves the EU.

Confor stated that there are significant financial and non-financial barriers to new woodland creation in Britain, some of which will strike a chord with forestry stakeholders in Ireland. Confor proposals include:

  • An increase in human resources at the FC to process planting applications more quickly.
  • A move away from the presumption not to plant trees to a presumption in favour of planting in appropriate areas, including ensuring that designations of specific areas, such as protected habitat, are up-to-date and that leaving the land alone is not contributing to the decline of the habitat.
  • A recognition (in funding and approvals) of the environmental benefits and public goods delivered by forestry (including mitigating climate change), which are poorly weighted against potential hazards.
  • Climate change

    Forestry in Scotland, like Ireland, has a huge role to play in climate change. This is acknowledged by FC Scotland, which states: “To help to mitigate the effects of climate change, Scotland has a target of an 80% reduction in gas emissions by 2050, and forestry has a significant role to play in achieving that target.”

    The role that the forestry and forest products sector can play in climate change mitigation is gathering momentum throughout the world, including Ireland. The Wood Marketing Federation and the Society of Irish Foresters are organising their annual forestry conference this year to address this crucial issue.

    Conference

    How Scotland is addressing climate change will be outlined by Stuart Goodall, CEO, Confor. He has a great story to tell which will resound with Irish forestry stakeholders and other groups that interact with the sector. By 2032, Scotland aims to increase forest cover from 18% to 21% of the land area.

    Ireland has as much potential as Scotland to grow the forest industry.

    Ireland is unique in this regard as it is the only country in the EU that can increase forest cover substantially – from 11% of the land area at present to 17% by 2050 – without negatively affecting agriculture and food security. To achieve climate change targets, Wood Wise 2025 proposes an ambitious 15,000-ha annual afforestation programme.

    The conference, titled Forestry as a Climate Change Solution, examines the role of Irish forestry and the forest products sector in mitigating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in collaboration with industry, energy, agriculture and sectors such as construction and transport.

    The conference will include presentations by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, Minister of State Andrew Doyle, Marina Conway of Forestry Industries Ireland and CEO Western Forestry Co-op, Justin McCarthy, editor, Irish Farmers Journal, and Teagasc director Prof Gerry Boyle.

    The conference takes place on 30 May 2019 in Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, Co Meath. Registration fee is €100 to include meals and conference book. Further information from Pat O’Sullivan, Society of Irish Foresters (info@soif.ie or 086-258 2240). The conference is supported by COFORD, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Coillte.

    Boyle and Nally to address LTWO

    Limerick & Tipperary Woodland Owners Ltd (LTWO) is one of the forestry groups around the country that continues to expand its membership base. It holds field days and forestry demonstrations as well as organising successful Knowledge Transfer Group training for forest owners, mainly farmers. LTWO has 300 members who between them own approximately 6,000ha of woodland.

    Forest owners in counties Limerick and Tipperary wishing to join the LTWO should attend its AGM on Saturday 23 March in the Ballykisteen Hotel, Limerick Junction, Co Tipperary.

    Apart from AGM business, Colum Walsh, chair of LTWO, says that there will be presentations by Prof Gerry Boyle, director of Teagasc, and Vincent Nally, chair of the IFA farm forestry section.

    Further information is available from Colum (087-790 8460) or contact the LTWO website (www.limerickandtipperarywoodlandowners.ie).