Public consultations on forestry programme and strategy open
"The vast majority of us want more trees, more diverse forests and more wood products."
Consultations on Ireland's draft forestry programme and strategy have opened this week.
Forestry stakeholders and the public are encouraged to take part in these two "significant" consultations, which remain open for six weeks.
Minister of State Pippa Hackett said that the new forestry programme, underpinned by a new forest strategy, "will deliver the changes we need".
“We want everybody’s views on the strategy and this a great opportunity for people to shape the future of forestry in Ireland. The vast majority of us want more trees, more diverse forests and more wood products," Ms Hackett added.
The consultations follow a series of public engagements with forestry policy in Ireland throughout 2022, including a public attitudes survey, an online survey with more than 3,000 responses, bilateral discussions with industry stakeholders, and community and youth-based studies.
Based on this feedback, last month, Ireland adopted a Shared National Vision for Trees, Woods and Forests until 2050.
The forestry programme comprises a list of actions and measures to achieve the ambitions set out in this shared national vision.
The forestry programme will run from 2023 until 2027 and will be the main implementation mechanism for the forest strategy in the immediate to short term.
An additional €12m was secured in Budget 2023 for forestry to reach a total budget of €112m.
The Department of Agriculture said it is currently in "detailed discussion" with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to agree on grant and premium rates for the new programme in order to incentivise the necessary levels of planting for Ireland to meet its afforestation targets.
It is hoped that further details will be published in the coming weeks.
