Forest certification
Having qualified as a forester in 1968, Jim has gained extensive experience in forest management and sawmill management. Tomás Hanrahan joined Tipperary Forestry Services in 1999. Tomás is a graduate of Newtown Rigg College, Scotland and has built up extensive experience in the area of forest establishment and harvesting. Together they built a business with an emphasis on timber marketing, estate management and afforestation. To date the company manages forestry on behalf of over 300 clients consisting of farmers, estate owners, and investors.
Due to a significant increase in the private timber harvesting business in the period 2005 to 2007 Tipperary Forestry Services realised the importance of achieving forest certification. At this time, Kieran O’Connell joined Tipperary Forestry Services. Kieran is also a graduate of Newton Rigg College and is experienced in managing forests and estates in the southern region. With the increase in the volume of timber the company was handling, especially in pulp, it was getting more difficult to find markets for uncertified material. The sawmills and pulp mills carrying FSC Certification require that 80% of timber purchased must be certified. Tipperary Forestry Services believed that this figure was going to increase over time.
With this in mind the company set about putting a group certification scheme for 20 of its clients together. The group consists of mostly farmers and estate owners. The plantations involved range in size from 8 to 110 ha. The company selected landowners for membership on the basis that each member’s plantation would require thinning within the next 5 years.
To achieve forest certification each member’s forest has had to have a detailed 20 year management plan completed. This plan contains details about the forest management objectives, plantation records, environmental objectives and a detailed work programme. To complete this, it was necessary to carry out a full ground based inventory on the plantation. Based on this, the work programme outlines the timing of significant operations such as road construction, thinning and clear felling.
Tipperary Forestry Services achieved FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification for its group scheme in 2008 and remains the only private forest management company to hold this certification.
The advantages to the forest owner of having FSC certification are
* A detailed management plan for their forest
* A guaranteed market for their timber
* A guaranteed quality management system
* It maximises the financial return to the forest owner
* Full compliance with all health and safety regulations Tipperary Forestry Services is a member of the Private Forestry Certification Ireland forest management group certification scheme An Grúpa Dubh Dara. All forests within the group have been independently inspected and evaluated according to strict environmental, social and economical principles and criteria as agreed by the Forest Stewardship Council.
A continued quality management system is guaranteed by the company having their own management systems and forest operations audited on an annual basis by independent auditors.
If you’re interested in Forest Certification please contact Tipperary Forestry Services.
* Contact details: Tipperary Forestry Services Limited Bishopswood Dundrum Co. Tipperary kinsellajim@eircom.net
