Forestry sector expansion ‘will be restricted unless Bill amended’
IFA forestry chair Michael Fleming said farmers need a legislative framework that supports farm-level timber production, and satisfies the multi-functional aspects of modern forestry.
“The requirement to submit a management plan, which may be approved, rejected, revoked or revised at any stage is an unnecessary barrier to afforestation and the mobilisation of the timber resource,” said Mr Fleming. “It increases the administrative burden, the management costs associated with an operation.
“The Bill proposes to confer wide-ranging powers that permit the minister to attach unspecified conditions to, or vary the conditions of, a felling licence including the power to dictate the type of trees to be replanted or to refuse a felling licence outright without consideration for the potential financial loss to the forest owner.”
Some 17,000 farmers have invested in forestry. The forest and forest products sector contribute €2.2bn to the Irish economy and provides 16,000 jobs. In 2013, only 6,200ha of new forest were established, well below the 15,000ha annually required to achieve the strategic plan outlined in Food Harvest 2020.
