Bacon report says forest fund cut was a big mistake
There were forestry planting applications for more than 23,000 hectares in 2003 but just over half will be approved, due to the lack of Government funding, said the economic consultants.
They concluded that the reduction in Government funding cannot be justified on economic grounds, because the economy earns €1.59 for every euro invested in forestry. However, the Government decided to ignore its 1996 commitment to fund the development of 20,000 hectares of new forests per year, and reduced funding in 2003 by 27%, in comparison to 2002 figures.
