Once the decision to plant is made, the landowner needs to choose the type of forest to establish. While the ultimate aim is to successfully produce healthy, vigorous and well formed trees, forestry is a multipurpose resource that provides wood and non-wood benefits. The question therefore is “what do I want from my forest?”
A key goal should be to plan a forest that integrates rather than competes with the farm landscape and farming activity.Good planning ensures that forestry and farming are compatible and can be designed and managed with mutual benefit.
The days when forest owners could decide on one species that achieved maximum financial return in the shortest possible time are over. Since the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) announced its requirement of 30% broadleaves as a “condition of State aid approval for afforestation”, the landowner will have to factor this in to future returns on investment. In effect, this means that planting for solely commercial reasons is not an option, as close to one third of the crop will not provide a return on investment during the lifetime of the forest owner.
DAFM has taken this into consideration in their grant-aided schemes. These cover the cost of forest establishment, while a 15 year period of annual premium payments bridges the gap between establishment and timber production in the case of fast growing conifers. Not so for broadleaves, although woodland improvement grants for tending and thinning are an incentive.
Before you choose the scheme that suits your needs, decide on the objective, including:
Commercial.Mixed – commercial, biodiverse and other.Non commercial – native woodland or other broadleaves. Forestry for fibre – biomass for renewable energy and panel board production.Agro-forestry.Commercial
Where the objective is to ensure maximum financial return, the new forest needs to be planted with 70% fast growing conifers and 30% allocated to high yielding broadleaves. For most growers, Sitka spruce will be the conifer of choice, as it has proven yield and markets. However, Norway spruce, Douglas fir and native Scots pine are also worth considering. Broadleaved planting will depend on soil type and site exposure. Native broadleaves such as oak and cherry will require reasonably fertile soils, less so for birch and alder. Non-native but naturalised broadleaves including sycamore, sweet chestnut and beech may be worth considering.
Mixed objectives
This approach includes a combination of objectives, such as income generation, habitat improvement and landscape enhancement. Landowners with mixed objectives generally are more adventurous in their species mix, which may be planted in separate blocks or in intimate mixtures.
While mixtures provide aesthetic and biodiverse habitats, as well as spreading the risk of disease and damage, they require exceptional silvicultural expertise and intense management.
Bear in mind that there are four grant premium categories (GPCs) in the forestry programme that allow for a mainly coniferous forestry diverse mix, with premium payments from €185 to €660/ha available depending on species.
Native woodland
There are two establishment Native Woodland Schemes (NWS) , comprising the following scenarios, with soil and woodland types as identified by the Forest Service:
Podzols; oak-birch-holly woodland. Brown podzolics; oak-birch-holly with hazel woodland. Brown earths; oak-ash-hazel woodland. Gleys; alder-oak-ash woodland. Highly modified peat and peaty podzol; pioneer birch woodland. These are designed for the forest owner who places strong emphasis on conservation, biodiversity, heritage and other non-wood objectives, although wood production is a long-term objective.
Broadleaves require good marginal land, while modified peat and peaty podzols open up huge possibilities in poorer land where income foregone from agriculture is not as high. The NWS is designed to reconnect with our lost native woodland heritage and is a worthwhile scheme, with an annual premium payment of €680/ha.
Forestry for fibre
This scheme is aimed at the renewable energy and panel board markets. It requires reasonably fertile, well-drained soils capable of producing 150 to 300m3/ha in less than 15 years and ideally in 10 years, which is when the premium period expires. The scheme is suitable for broadleaf species including common and Italian alder, poplars, sycamore and eucalyptus.
So far, the scheme has created little interest, as forest owners tend to prefer timber production for a variety of markets rather than two lower-value end uses.
Agro-forestry
This scheme is aimed primarily at farmers who wish to combine forestry and pasture, but the take-up has been virtually non-existent. It received a boost recently when Minister Doyle extended the scheme to 150,000ha of designated acid-sensitive areas. The short premium period of five years is a major disincentive, although a DAFM spokesperson said this will be examined in the next programme.
Given the support for the scheme, it would be worthwhile for DAFM to consider extending the premium period for a 200ha agroforestry pilot project. This is the total area proposed for agroforestry in the current Forestry Programme 2015 - 2020.
The above schemes demonstrate the broad choice available to the landowner. The soil type and site conditions, scale of forestry investment and other considerations will all influence the type of forest you wish to establish, but there are sufficient schemes available to satisfy most objectives.
Once the decision to plant is made, the landowner needs to choose the type of forest to establish. While the ultimate aim is to successfully produce healthy, vigorous and well formed trees, forestry is a multipurpose resource that provides wood and non-wood benefits. The question therefore is “what do I want from my forest?”
A key goal should be to plan a forest that integrates rather than competes with the farm landscape and farming activity.Good planning ensures that forestry and farming are compatible and can be designed and managed with mutual benefit.
The days when forest owners could decide on one species that achieved maximum financial return in the shortest possible time are over. Since the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) announced its requirement of 30% broadleaves as a “condition of State aid approval for afforestation”, the landowner will have to factor this in to future returns on investment. In effect, this means that planting for solely commercial reasons is not an option, as close to one third of the crop will not provide a return on investment during the lifetime of the forest owner.
DAFM has taken this into consideration in their grant-aided schemes. These cover the cost of forest establishment, while a 15 year period of annual premium payments bridges the gap between establishment and timber production in the case of fast growing conifers. Not so for broadleaves, although woodland improvement grants for tending and thinning are an incentive.
Before you choose the scheme that suits your needs, decide on the objective, including:
Commercial.Mixed – commercial, biodiverse and other.Non commercial – native woodland or other broadleaves. Forestry for fibre – biomass for renewable energy and panel board production.Agro-forestry.Commercial
Where the objective is to ensure maximum financial return, the new forest needs to be planted with 70% fast growing conifers and 30% allocated to high yielding broadleaves. For most growers, Sitka spruce will be the conifer of choice, as it has proven yield and markets. However, Norway spruce, Douglas fir and native Scots pine are also worth considering. Broadleaved planting will depend on soil type and site exposure. Native broadleaves such as oak and cherry will require reasonably fertile soils, less so for birch and alder. Non-native but naturalised broadleaves including sycamore, sweet chestnut and beech may be worth considering.
Mixed objectives
This approach includes a combination of objectives, such as income generation, habitat improvement and landscape enhancement. Landowners with mixed objectives generally are more adventurous in their species mix, which may be planted in separate blocks or in intimate mixtures.
While mixtures provide aesthetic and biodiverse habitats, as well as spreading the risk of disease and damage, they require exceptional silvicultural expertise and intense management.
Bear in mind that there are four grant premium categories (GPCs) in the forestry programme that allow for a mainly coniferous forestry diverse mix, with premium payments from €185 to €660/ha available depending on species.
Native woodland
There are two establishment Native Woodland Schemes (NWS) , comprising the following scenarios, with soil and woodland types as identified by the Forest Service:
Podzols; oak-birch-holly woodland. Brown podzolics; oak-birch-holly with hazel woodland. Brown earths; oak-ash-hazel woodland. Gleys; alder-oak-ash woodland. Highly modified peat and peaty podzol; pioneer birch woodland. These are designed for the forest owner who places strong emphasis on conservation, biodiversity, heritage and other non-wood objectives, although wood production is a long-term objective.
Broadleaves require good marginal land, while modified peat and peaty podzols open up huge possibilities in poorer land where income foregone from agriculture is not as high. The NWS is designed to reconnect with our lost native woodland heritage and is a worthwhile scheme, with an annual premium payment of €680/ha.
Forestry for fibre
This scheme is aimed at the renewable energy and panel board markets. It requires reasonably fertile, well-drained soils capable of producing 150 to 300m3/ha in less than 15 years and ideally in 10 years, which is when the premium period expires. The scheme is suitable for broadleaf species including common and Italian alder, poplars, sycamore and eucalyptus.
So far, the scheme has created little interest, as forest owners tend to prefer timber production for a variety of markets rather than two lower-value end uses.
Agro-forestry
This scheme is aimed primarily at farmers who wish to combine forestry and pasture, but the take-up has been virtually non-existent. It received a boost recently when Minister Doyle extended the scheme to 150,000ha of designated acid-sensitive areas. The short premium period of five years is a major disincentive, although a DAFM spokesperson said this will be examined in the next programme.
Given the support for the scheme, it would be worthwhile for DAFM to consider extending the premium period for a 200ha agroforestry pilot project. This is the total area proposed for agroforestry in the current Forestry Programme 2015 - 2020.
The above schemes demonstrate the broad choice available to the landowner. The soil type and site conditions, scale of forestry investment and other considerations will all influence the type of forest you wish to establish, but there are sufficient schemes available to satisfy most objectives.
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