Forestry thinning protocol finalised

A NEW thinning protocol for forestry owners being finalised by the Forestry Development Association is expected to be published next month.

Forestry Minister Mary Wallace said it will outline steps to undertake efficient thinning operations. She was speaking after a visit to the farm of George Lacey in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, where she saw the thinning of 15-year-old forestry plantation under the new protocol.

Ms Wallace said the project will help farmers to maximise the return from their crop.