Maintenance and enhancement of water quality features strongly in all aspects of sustainable forest management (SFM) in Ireland. Since 2000 Irish foresters have complied with the Department’s “Forestry and Water Quality Guidelines “ which set out “sound and practical measures based on the principles of SFM and are firmly rooted in the best available scientific information”.
These have been kept under review in light of new developments as forestry has to address issues identified in Ireland’s “River Basin Management Plan” as well as “Environmental Requirements for Afforestation” and the recent “Draft Plan for Forests and Freshwater Pearl Mussel in Ireland”.
Establishing forests
Foresters, forest owners and landowners planning to establish forests will be interested in “Woodland for Water” which illustrates how “new native woodland and undisturbed water setback can be used in combination to deliver meaningful ecosystem services that protect and enhance water quality and aquatic ecosystems”. The document includes:
Introduction to realising woodlands for water.Native Woodland Scheme establishment.Water setback.Relevant research and initiatives.When Minister Doyle launched the document he emphasised that well-sited, designed and managed woodlands and forests benefit water quality and aquatic ecosystems significantly.
“They deliver a range of ‘ecosystem services’ such as the prevention of sediment and nutrient runoff, the protection of banks from erosion, ‘food drop’ of insects and leaf litter into the aquatic ecosystem, as well as contributing to the shading and cooling of water, the overall restoration of riparian habitats, and helping floodwater control,” he said. “These benefits are recognised throughout many countries the world over.”
Potential
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has welcomed the measures and targeted approach set out in ‘Forests and Water’ and “looks forward to working with the Department and the wider forestry sector to reduce and eliminate forestry-related pressures and to fully realise the potential of Ireland’s woodlands and forests as a strategic tool in the protection and enhancement of Ireland’s water”.
The overall approach set out in “Forests and Water” is to:
Safeguard water during all forestry operations.Restructure existing forests to reflect water sensitivities, where required.Situate and design new woodlands and forests in a way that protects water quality. The aim is to meet the challenges set out in the “River Basin Management Plan”.A practical example of how native woodland and undisturbed water setback actually fit into the landscape is illustrated in Figure 1.
In all, a 30m minimum woodland and setback area is created between the watercourse and adjoining land use, which can include agriculture, commercial forestry or built environment.
Guide
The document provides guidance to species selection, including species that are compatible with the soil type and site location.
Foresters will be familiar with the native woodland types as outlined under the Native Woodland Scheme (NWS) establishment, which features the native woodland type that would occur naturally on the site.
Apart from protecting and enhancing the watercourse, the new woodland has a wide range of other benefits including landscape enhancement, carbon sequestration and habitat linkage.
A New native woodland – minimum 20m wide.
B Permanent undisturbed water setback, 10-25m wide.
C Setback planting comprising single or small groups of trees (suitable native riparian species).
D Possible interventions within existing drains (e.g. silt traps, slow-flow dams).
Source: Adapted by D. Magner from “Woodland for Water: Creating new native woodlands to protect and enhance Ireland’s waters” published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, 2018.
Grant payments to be made in drought-affected plantations
The Forestry Division has issued a circular acknowledging the high mortality rates in afforestation sites due to drought conditions this year. The requirement to achieve a 90% plant survival rate “will be suspended for 2018 due to the drought,” the circular states.
“Payment will be made on the condition that full planting took place prior to drought impacts and all other requirements for first instalment grant payment are met and that a new ‘Form 2A’ has been received by the Department.”
There are a number of procedures to be followed including the completion of Form 2A which is a declaration to fill in failed trees by 31 March 2019 and request for a derogation in order to facilitate immediate Form 2 payment. When the failed trees have been replaced a supplementary Form 2B or “Declaration of Completion of Filling in” needs to be submitted to the Department, including provenance declaration forms for filled in trees. This form, signed by the forest owner and registered forester, must be received by the Department before 15 April 2019.
Teagasc Norway spruce thinning event
Liam Kelly reminds readers of a Teagasc event this Friday, November 9 in Co Offaly. The topic is the preparation and first thinning of Norway spruce. Forest owners wishing to attend should convene (10.30am) at Tullamore GAA O’Brien Park, Arden Road, Tullamore (R35 XK35) before visiting the Norway spruce forest, which won this year’s RDS production forest award.
Maintenance and enhancement of water quality features strongly in all aspects of sustainable forest management (SFM) in Ireland. Since 2000 Irish foresters have complied with the Department’s “Forestry and Water Quality Guidelines “ which set out “sound and practical measures based on the principles of SFM and are firmly rooted in the best available scientific information”.
These have been kept under review in light of new developments as forestry has to address issues identified in Ireland’s “River Basin Management Plan” as well as “Environmental Requirements for Afforestation” and the recent “Draft Plan for Forests and Freshwater Pearl Mussel in Ireland”.
Establishing forests
Foresters, forest owners and landowners planning to establish forests will be interested in “Woodland for Water” which illustrates how “new native woodland and undisturbed water setback can be used in combination to deliver meaningful ecosystem services that protect and enhance water quality and aquatic ecosystems”. The document includes:
Introduction to realising woodlands for water.Native Woodland Scheme establishment.Water setback.Relevant research and initiatives.When Minister Doyle launched the document he emphasised that well-sited, designed and managed woodlands and forests benefit water quality and aquatic ecosystems significantly.
“They deliver a range of ‘ecosystem services’ such as the prevention of sediment and nutrient runoff, the protection of banks from erosion, ‘food drop’ of insects and leaf litter into the aquatic ecosystem, as well as contributing to the shading and cooling of water, the overall restoration of riparian habitats, and helping floodwater control,” he said. “These benefits are recognised throughout many countries the world over.”
Potential
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has welcomed the measures and targeted approach set out in ‘Forests and Water’ and “looks forward to working with the Department and the wider forestry sector to reduce and eliminate forestry-related pressures and to fully realise the potential of Ireland’s woodlands and forests as a strategic tool in the protection and enhancement of Ireland’s water”.
The overall approach set out in “Forests and Water” is to:
Safeguard water during all forestry operations.Restructure existing forests to reflect water sensitivities, where required.Situate and design new woodlands and forests in a way that protects water quality. The aim is to meet the challenges set out in the “River Basin Management Plan”.A practical example of how native woodland and undisturbed water setback actually fit into the landscape is illustrated in Figure 1.
In all, a 30m minimum woodland and setback area is created between the watercourse and adjoining land use, which can include agriculture, commercial forestry or built environment.
Guide
The document provides guidance to species selection, including species that are compatible with the soil type and site location.
Foresters will be familiar with the native woodland types as outlined under the Native Woodland Scheme (NWS) establishment, which features the native woodland type that would occur naturally on the site.
Apart from protecting and enhancing the watercourse, the new woodland has a wide range of other benefits including landscape enhancement, carbon sequestration and habitat linkage.
A New native woodland – minimum 20m wide.
B Permanent undisturbed water setback, 10-25m wide.
C Setback planting comprising single or small groups of trees (suitable native riparian species).
D Possible interventions within existing drains (e.g. silt traps, slow-flow dams).
Source: Adapted by D. Magner from “Woodland for Water: Creating new native woodlands to protect and enhance Ireland’s waters” published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, 2018.
Grant payments to be made in drought-affected plantations
The Forestry Division has issued a circular acknowledging the high mortality rates in afforestation sites due to drought conditions this year. The requirement to achieve a 90% plant survival rate “will be suspended for 2018 due to the drought,” the circular states.
“Payment will be made on the condition that full planting took place prior to drought impacts and all other requirements for first instalment grant payment are met and that a new ‘Form 2A’ has been received by the Department.”
There are a number of procedures to be followed including the completion of Form 2A which is a declaration to fill in failed trees by 31 March 2019 and request for a derogation in order to facilitate immediate Form 2 payment. When the failed trees have been replaced a supplementary Form 2B or “Declaration of Completion of Filling in” needs to be submitted to the Department, including provenance declaration forms for filled in trees. This form, signed by the forest owner and registered forester, must be received by the Department before 15 April 2019.
Teagasc Norway spruce thinning event
Liam Kelly reminds readers of a Teagasc event this Friday, November 9 in Co Offaly. The topic is the preparation and first thinning of Norway spruce. Forest owners wishing to attend should convene (10.30am) at Tullamore GAA O’Brien Park, Arden Road, Tullamore (R35 XK35) before visiting the Norway spruce forest, which won this year’s RDS production forest award.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: