BnM to create woodland and wetland 'mosaic'
Bord na Móna intends to create a mosaic of wetlands and sparse woodlands as part of their rehabilitation plans for end-of-life cutaway bogs.
Bord na Móna intends to create a mosaic of wetlands and sparse woodlands as part of their rehabilitation plans for end-of-life cutaway bogs.
Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue told the Dail the overall purpose is to support biodiversity, help reduce carbon emissions and stabilise soils to minimise soil erosion.
No project like this has been undertaken before, he said, explaining that it includes the establishment of trials to explore the most effective silvicultural techniques.
He told Michael Fitzmaurice TD there is a pilot scheme on some 203 hectares in and around Littleton Bog complex, straddling the Tipperary-Kilkenny border.
Minister McConalogue recalled that a new Coillte and Bord na Mona initiative was announced in 2019.
It involves the planting of about four million native trees across 1,500 hectares of Bord na Móna land. The company was formally ending all peat harvesting on its lands by the end of that year.
Industrial cutover peatlands were becoming increasingly available for other land use options, including restoring native woodland habitats.
He said Bord na Mona requested support for the exploration of possibilities for native woodland creation on former industrial cutaway peatlands.
The Department developed a pilot scheme that is intended to facilitate the establishment of new native woodlands on state-owned former industrial cutover peatlands.
Minister McConalogue said grant funding for native woodlands created under this pilot scheme is subject to the applicant obtaining a licence for afforestation from the Minister.
The scheme aims at mimicking natural vegetation establishment processes in high, dry areas and on slopes that are not suitable for re-wetting.
Minister McConalogue said the scheme was developed in accordance with the provisions of the Forestry Act 2014 and is compliant with national and European Union legislation, operational and environmental guidelines.
“It has been proposed to continue to offer this pilot through the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 subject to State Aid approval,” he said.
Following the specific purpose of the pilot, he said the scheme is confined to State bodies that own former industrial cutaway peatlands.
