The anonymity of forestry

In 1997, the year after the launch of Growing for the Future, the word “forestry” was removed from its parent department title – then “Agriculture, Food and Forestry” – and never restored. Does it really matter if a major natural resource such as forestry is not featured in a department title?

It does to many in forestry, as they point to food, tourism, marine, defence and energy whose sectors’ identity and importance is reflected in their departments’ titles. It’s no coincidence that Growing for the Future, the first major forestry strategy in Ireland was launched in 1996 when forestry enjoyed a higher profile in government than it does today.

Although, expectations for forestry are now high, as outlined by An Taoiseach and Minister Doyle at the recent Agri-food Strategy to 2030 seminar, forestry failed to feature in any of the parallel session titles

Not only was it featured in the department title but the strategic plan was launched by the then government minister Ivan Yates – who incorporated forestry in his senior portfolio for three years (1974-77); the only time forestry has had an influential voice at cabinet for a quarter of a century, apart from a brief period when the late Joe Walsh took over the role in 2003. Annual planting averaged 11,000ha during the first decade of the strategic plan.

Although, expectations for forestry are now high, as outlined by An Taoiseach and Minister Doyle at the recent Agri-food Strategy to 2030 seminar, forestry failed to feature in any of the parallel session titles.

Forestry will always have an identity problem in a department whose ultimate aim is to develop “a competitive, consumer focused agri-food sector”. However, its role and identity would benefit from the support of an independent state development agency. It would also benefit from a higher profile within other state bodies, especially Teagasc, which has forestry in its remit.

Parent department

The Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is “responsible for ensuring the development of forestry within Ireland, in a manner and to a scale that maximises its contribution to national socio-economic wellbeing on a sustainable basis, that is compatible with the protection of the environment”.

It oversees a forestry programme in partnership with the private sector which aims, inter alia, to plant 8,000ha annually, as well as maximising wood mobilisation by approving felling licences and funding a forest roads programme.

However, afforestation is likely to drop to below 4,000ha this year, while felling licence approvals are well behind schedule, with delays of over 12 months recorded in some instances. Clearly, DAFM is not equipped to carry out all the functions that ensure a viable forestry programme.

Forestry development agency (FDA)

Forestry – including DAFM – would benefit from the support of an independent agency to maximise its economic, environmental and social responsibilities. In fact, it’s the only natural resource that doesn’t have an independent development agency. Examples of natural resource sectors that have benefited from development and promotional agencies include food (Bord Bia), sea fisheries (BIM), inland fisheries (IFI), marine research (Marine Institute) and renewable energy (SEI).

Michael Guilfoyle, former assistant secretary with the Department of Communications, outlined the reasons for an independent FDA in the Irish Farmers Journal (10 February 2019). Guilfoyle, who helped establish a number of state agencies, maintained that forestry policy has been subject to unanticipated lurches in the past, which have “introduced uncertainties impacting badly on confidence and investment” and could have been headed off by a forestry agency.

There is widespread support for an independent agency to promote forestry in Ireland and a template exists in similar agencies in tourism, food and the marine

He said he was glad to have the relevant state development bodies at his disposal during his time as assistant secretary. He regularly brought in CEOs and specialist staff members of promotional bodies under his aegis to meet Cabinet Sub-Committees, Ministers and DGs at EU level on particular issues, “thereby giving very useful profile to the value of the sector”. Apart from its development and promotional role, he maintained that the “FDA would also be an active supporter of DAFM in negotiating forestry policy with the EU”.

There is widespread support for an independent agency to promote forestry in Ireland and a template exists in similar agencies in tourism, food and the marine.

Teagasc has a small group of under-resourced foresters actively promoting multipurpose forestry at farm level. In an organisation that employs 1,230 people, only eight forestry advisors are employed to cover 26 counties.

In addition, senior management seem to be totally out of step with the message their hard-pressed foresters are promoting to farmers. The presentation by Professor Gerry Boyle, Teagasc CEO, at this year’s annual forestry conference concentrated on hedgerow and native species, but he must surely know that the role of forestry in the bioeconomy, climate change mitigation, rural development and a revenue stream for forest owners – mainly farmers – deserved a far more considered and expansive response.

Forestry is a multi-purpose sector and Professor Boyle should know that the government target of 70% commercial species and 30% broadleaves and open spaces, provides the optimum species mix that currently allows forests to absorb and an additional 3.6 million tonnes (mt) of CO2 annually.

With additional carbon capture in increased use of wood, the potential of forestry in climate change mitigation is enormous

Professor Boyle has outlined how forestry can provide mean annual savings of 2.86mt through land use carbon sequestration (2.1mt) and renewable energy (0.76mt) but that’s only part of the story. With additional carbon capture in increased use of wood, the potential of forestry in climate change mitigation is enormous. All major wood construction projects in Europe now rely on Norway spruce softwood commercial forests, while researchers in NUIG see a similar role for engineered Sitka spruce in Ireland.

This approach acknowledges the economic and the ecological, although some still adhere to the simplistic and populist anti-commercial forestry narrative, including Teagasc chairman Liam Herlihy.

He maintains that more help should be provided for planting deciduous trees and hedgerows, rather than more commercial Sitka spruce plantations. Support is required for a balanced forestry programme that provides a livelihood for the very farmers Teagasc represents.

Regarding his comments on Sitka spruce, which provides virtually all of the €2bn annual value of the forest resource and most of the carbons sequestration, Herlihy might listen to Sir David Attenborough who makes a compelling case for commercial forestry, because “the natural forests can’t provide sufficient wood”.

“We also have to farm trees, just like we do other crops and create a new generation of plantations”, he said.

That’s the message Teagasc might have provided in its 104-page Annual Report 2018, instead of relegating forestry coverage to less than a page.

Timber processors, along with architects and engineers who use wood as an inherent medium in their projects, will be interested in attending a seminar on engineered timber, scheduled for 31 October 2019 in the National Botanic Gardens Conference Centre, Glasnevin, Dublin.

Organised by the WoodProps programme at NUIG, the Wood Marketing Federation and the Society of Irish Foresters, the seminar will explore the use of engineered timber in large-scale construction projects. Engineers and architects will outline their experiences constructing substantial projects using engineered wood products.

Email david.gil-moreno@nuigalway.ie for further details and to book a place. The WoodProps project is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Following on from the successful forest food field day in Clonad Wood, Co Offaly last September, the Irish Timber Growers Association is organising an ecology woodland walk on Saturday, 2 November back in Clonad. Experts will guide visitors through the woodland with talks on ecologically important woodland trees, shrubs and habitats, as well as areas of high ecological value. Those wishing to attend should register at Eventbrite.