2,016ha of new forests created in 2021 - with highest afforestation area in Cork
Farmers have accounted for 81% of private lands afforested between 1980 and 2021.
The national forest estate has now reached 11.6% of Ireland's total land area - with 2,016ha of new forests created in 2021.
Co Cork had the highest afforestation area at 343ha followed by Co Roscommon at 190ha.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Pippa Hackett today announced the publication of the department’s annual forest statistics report for 2022.
Ms Hackett said that the national forest estate has expanded to 808,848ha at present, from 770,020ha in 2017.
"This expansion in the total forest area is a result of direct afforestation and also the natural expansion of semi-natural forests," she said.
"For the first time in the history of the state, the area of privately-owned forests exceeds the area of publicly-owned forests.”
Noting the decreasing trend in the area being afforested annually, Ms Hackett said that this is something "that needs to be addressed".
Project Woodland was established in February 2021 to ensure a new impetus is brought to forest establishment in Ireland.
This project involves a review and refresh of processes and procedures.
Ms Hackett said that the work of Project Woodland "will be key in establishing a way forward through the development of a new forest strategy and forestry programme".
“Although afforestation was low last year, I am pleased that the proportion of broadleaves being afforested increased from 34% in 2020 to 41% in 2021.
"A similar increase occurred in the Native Woodland Establishment scheme operated by my department, from 18.9% in 2020 to 29.6% in 2021.”
The report shows that conifer species are the dominant species present in Ireland, representing 69% of forest area while broadleaved species accounted for 31%.
The proportion of broadleaves in new forests created during 2021 is 41%, an increase of 7% over 2020.
Slightly over half (50.9%) of forests are in private ownership, with the remainder in public ownership.
Farmers have accounted for 81% of private lands afforested between 1980 and 2021.
Since 1980, over 23,500 private landowners have received grant aid to establish forests.
The average size of private grant-aided afforestation since 1980 is 8.6ha.
In terms of wood mobilisation in the private sector, the construction of nearly 72.5km of private forest roads was funded in 2021.
Felling licences were issued during 2021 for the thinning of 12,494ha and the clear-felling of 20,709ha.
In 2021 the volume of roundwood removals was at 4.33m cubic metres.
This is an increase of 11% compared with 2020 roundwood removals of 3.89m cubic metres.
In 2021, total expenditure was €69.5m which includes afforestation grants, annual premium payments and grants for forest road infrastructure.
In 2020, Ireland’s forests removed close to 3m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.
