Foresters, forestry companies, forest owners and prospective forest owners have been poring over the recent changes to the Forestry Programme 2014-2020. The reaction to the official adjustments announced on Tuesday depends on the type of forest or woodland the owner wishes to establish and its location.
Since peatland afforestation ceased in Ireland, planting now takes place in poor grassland over a variety of soil types. This includes land with limited agriculture potential – at least 250,000ha – and extremely limited agricultural land, mainly 105,000ha of rough grassland not farmed and 179,000ha of unenclosed land that would support productive forests without environmental constraints.
This accounts for 7.5% of the land of Ireland, which should be available for afforestation without negatively affecting agricultural production. The Forest Service provides forest grant and premium rates to match these sites. These grant and premium categories (GPCs) are based on species selection and woodland types forest owners wish to establish.
The grant covers the cost of establishment while 15 annual premiums compensate for the unproductive period.
Afforestation supports
The midterm review examines how forestry is performing in each GPC and adjusts accordingly. Bearing in mind that all afforestation programmes will be required to contain a minimum of 15% broadleaves, the review provides the following grant and premium increases (Tables 1 and 2):
7% increase in all broadleaves and diverse conifer grant categories from GPC 4 to GPC 10.5% increase in all broadleaves and diverse conifer premium categories, from GPC 4 to GPC 10.2% increase in grant amount for GPC 1 to GPC 3.2% in premium rate for all plantations greater than 10ha.The forest fibre scheme will now receive a €3,815 grant, while annual premiums have been almost trebled, as well as being extended to 15 years.Fencing grants
In addition, the following increases apply to forest fencing (applies only to IS436 standard posts) and tree shelter schemes:
New deer fencing provision of €16.25 /m for 140m/ha or €2,275/ha.Upgrade deer fencing rates of €8/m for 140m/ha or €1,120/ha.€300/ha for tree shelters, mainly to protect broadleaves.€2.5/m up to 140m/ha for forests that have been subject to hare damage.
Other supports
The review acknowledges the need for greater wood mobilisation and has allowed for an increase in forest road density from 20m to 25m/ha while two changes apply to the Woodland Improvement Scheme (WIS).
The WIS will now apply to non-grant aided broadleaf forests and all broadleaved mixtures that meet the required eligibility criteria. In addition, these will be eligible for a second thinning grant of €500/ha. Two thinning grants for broadleaves acknowledge that support is required – and provided – for broadleaves well beyond the 15-year premium period.
Positive response
Reaction to the review has been swift, especially from foresters and forestry companies. The general response has been positive in relation to roading and broadleaves. They say they can live with the modest funding increases for most GPCs while the maximum fencing grant of €600/ha is welcome as it should ensure usage of longer-lasting certified IS436 fencing posts.
The generous grant and premium increases for the ‘‘Forestry for Fibre’’ and “Agroforestry” schemes are also welcome. The premium period has been extended from 10 to 15 years for the fibre scheme but remains at five years for agroforestry, which is a missed opportunity as 10 years might have activated this moribund scheme.
Criticism
However, there was widespread criticism of the €2,740/ha grant for GPC1 unenclosed land. This was described as “€1,000 below the minimum required and a cynical exercise to ensure that no planting will take place on many productive unenclosed sites for the duration of the programme” by one forester . When asked about recent vegetation analysis to categorise some unenclosed sites as GPC3, all foresters contacted said that this was a positive economic, silvicultural and ecological initiative but the number of sites approved was minimal.
Performance
Stakeholders contacted by the Irish Farmers Journal said that a team effort was now required to achieve a viable afforestation programme. Because of the delay in publishing the review, three months afforestation (mid-November to date) had been lost. However, the programme “could be regained but would require a unified approach especially by Forest Service inspectors, nurseries, foresters and specialist inspectors in archaeology and ecology”, said the spokesperson.
For example, he said the Forest Service has been without a specialist archaeologist for over a year. As late as last September, the Department told the Irish Farmers Journal that it was “in the process of filling an outstanding vacancy for an archaeologist [and] in the meantime the work on afforestation applications is being carried out by another archaeologist within the Department”.
Despite the sterling work of the archaeologist who has been transferred to another division, some sites are awaiting an archaeology inspection for up to nine months. This has negatively affected afforestation and road construction where inspections and approvals are required by an archaeologist. When this appointment is eventually made, the archaeologist will require support to clear the backlog. Likewise, other Forest Service specialists such as ecologists need similar support to create a greater sense of urgency and confidence in the afforestation and road grant approval systems.
Foresters, forestry companies, forest owners and prospective forest owners have been poring over the recent changes to the Forestry Programme 2014-2020. The reaction to the official adjustments announced on Tuesday depends on the type of forest or woodland the owner wishes to establish and its location.
Since peatland afforestation ceased in Ireland, planting now takes place in poor grassland over a variety of soil types. This includes land with limited agriculture potential – at least 250,000ha – and extremely limited agricultural land, mainly 105,000ha of rough grassland not farmed and 179,000ha of unenclosed land that would support productive forests without environmental constraints.
This accounts for 7.5% of the land of Ireland, which should be available for afforestation without negatively affecting agricultural production. The Forest Service provides forest grant and premium rates to match these sites. These grant and premium categories (GPCs) are based on species selection and woodland types forest owners wish to establish.
The grant covers the cost of establishment while 15 annual premiums compensate for the unproductive period.
Afforestation supports
The midterm review examines how forestry is performing in each GPC and adjusts accordingly. Bearing in mind that all afforestation programmes will be required to contain a minimum of 15% broadleaves, the review provides the following grant and premium increases (Tables 1 and 2):
7% increase in all broadleaves and diverse conifer grant categories from GPC 4 to GPC 10.5% increase in all broadleaves and diverse conifer premium categories, from GPC 4 to GPC 10.2% increase in grant amount for GPC 1 to GPC 3.2% in premium rate for all plantations greater than 10ha.The forest fibre scheme will now receive a €3,815 grant, while annual premiums have been almost trebled, as well as being extended to 15 years.Fencing grants
In addition, the following increases apply to forest fencing (applies only to IS436 standard posts) and tree shelter schemes:
New deer fencing provision of €16.25 /m for 140m/ha or €2,275/ha.Upgrade deer fencing rates of €8/m for 140m/ha or €1,120/ha.€300/ha for tree shelters, mainly to protect broadleaves.€2.5/m up to 140m/ha for forests that have been subject to hare damage.
Other supports
The review acknowledges the need for greater wood mobilisation and has allowed for an increase in forest road density from 20m to 25m/ha while two changes apply to the Woodland Improvement Scheme (WIS).
The WIS will now apply to non-grant aided broadleaf forests and all broadleaved mixtures that meet the required eligibility criteria. In addition, these will be eligible for a second thinning grant of €500/ha. Two thinning grants for broadleaves acknowledge that support is required – and provided – for broadleaves well beyond the 15-year premium period.
Positive response
Reaction to the review has been swift, especially from foresters and forestry companies. The general response has been positive in relation to roading and broadleaves. They say they can live with the modest funding increases for most GPCs while the maximum fencing grant of €600/ha is welcome as it should ensure usage of longer-lasting certified IS436 fencing posts.
The generous grant and premium increases for the ‘‘Forestry for Fibre’’ and “Agroforestry” schemes are also welcome. The premium period has been extended from 10 to 15 years for the fibre scheme but remains at five years for agroforestry, which is a missed opportunity as 10 years might have activated this moribund scheme.
Criticism
However, there was widespread criticism of the €2,740/ha grant for GPC1 unenclosed land. This was described as “€1,000 below the minimum required and a cynical exercise to ensure that no planting will take place on many productive unenclosed sites for the duration of the programme” by one forester . When asked about recent vegetation analysis to categorise some unenclosed sites as GPC3, all foresters contacted said that this was a positive economic, silvicultural and ecological initiative but the number of sites approved was minimal.
Performance
Stakeholders contacted by the Irish Farmers Journal said that a team effort was now required to achieve a viable afforestation programme. Because of the delay in publishing the review, three months afforestation (mid-November to date) had been lost. However, the programme “could be regained but would require a unified approach especially by Forest Service inspectors, nurseries, foresters and specialist inspectors in archaeology and ecology”, said the spokesperson.
For example, he said the Forest Service has been without a specialist archaeologist for over a year. As late as last September, the Department told the Irish Farmers Journal that it was “in the process of filling an outstanding vacancy for an archaeologist [and] in the meantime the work on afforestation applications is being carried out by another archaeologist within the Department”.
Despite the sterling work of the archaeologist who has been transferred to another division, some sites are awaiting an archaeology inspection for up to nine months. This has negatively affected afforestation and road construction where inspections and approvals are required by an archaeologist. When this appointment is eventually made, the archaeologist will require support to clear the backlog. Likewise, other Forest Service specialists such as ecologists need similar support to create a greater sense of urgency and confidence in the afforestation and road grant approval systems.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: