REVIEW OF FOREST POLICY - CRANN SUBMISSION
Crann welcomes this opportunity to make a submission to the Forest Service on the Review of Forest Policy. The following is a brief summary of our recommendations and observations.
Introduction:
Crann, founded in 1986, is a membership based environmental NGO which strives to increase public awareness of the importance of trees, woodlands and hedgerows in our landscape and in the natural world. Crann has approximately 800 members, making it one of the largest voluntary environmental charities in Ireland. Our aims are:
To promote sustainable and biodiverse woodlands
To encourage the development of a wood culture in Ireland
To stand up for trees
For the past 24 years Crann has worked and campaigned successfully under the slogan “Releafing Ireland” and has been extremely successful in achieving public recognition of the importance of planting trees and preserving the scarce remnants of our native woodlands. Through our member’s magazine “Crann” we are proud to have achieved the position we hold as a group who can deliver our aims and promises. Most importantly, our aim is, and has always been, to help inform and educate by engaging with other groups and Government bodies in a positive manner. We believe in persuasion and discussion, in positive action rather than negative criticism.
In order to develop and enhance our objectives, Crann - has launched numerous projects to actively promote the environmental benefits of woodlands and trees in Ireland. These projects, including a roll out to schools, focus on bringing the Crann message to a wider and younger audience. We help to publicise the Forest Service Grant Schemes, importantly those that emphasise the values of broadleaves. We feel that fostering a love of trees amongst young people especially, and an appreciation of biodiversity and all the benefits that trees and woodlands represent, is critical to the long term strategy of increasing Ireland’s woodland cover.
Crann strongly supports the main elements present in the Forestry Section of the Renewed Programme for Government published in October 2009. These include commitments to:
· Review State forestry policy to take account of its critical role in relation to climate change and its importance to construction, bioenergy, biodiversity and its potential to deliver long-term employment in other downstream industries, including ecotourism, furniture and crafts.
· Review of the role of Coillte and its functions and operations.
· Review the effectiveness of current forestry grant schemes and to make recommendations on how best to deliver supports in the future.
· To overhaul and significantly enhance the current range of programmes and supports to facilitate the attainment of the target of 17% forestry cover by 2030 and contribute to meeting Ireland’s climate change commitments.
· The promotion of a diverse forestry culture with an emphasis on native trees and ensuring that a minimum of 30% broadleaf will be planted annually.
· Increasing the level of new forest planting to 10,000 hectares per annum.
Strategic Context
At a European level the Draft EU Green Paper on Forest Protection and Information on preparing forests for climate change, (COM(2010)66 final), sets out a framework for Forestry Strategy and Forest Action Plans. Multifunctionality and sustainable forest management are seen as the key elements for ensuring the fulfilment of all forest functions with National Forest Programmes the basic policy tool for implementation. Formulation and implementation of forest policy is seen as primarily an internal matter for Member States.
In the Republic of Ireland context Crann recommends the following:
1. State forests should remain in public ownership.
2. Consideration should be given to having a revised target of up to 13,000 hectares (new planting) in the period under review.
3. CRANN supports the continuation of 100% establishment grants and 20- year premiums for farmers.
4. All afforestation and reforestation projects should be undertaken in accordance with The Pan European Guidelines for Afforestation and Reforestation with a special focus on the provisions of the UNFCCC MCPFE, (August 2009) http://www.foresteurope.org/filestore/mcpfe/Publications/pdf/Pan-EuropeanAfforestationReforestationGuidelines.pdf
5. The planting programme should include a minimum of 30% broadleaves of genetically appropriate provenances. Where possible only seed from certified seed stands should be used. Greater proportions of native Scots Pine and appropriate provenances of Douglas fir, Western Red Cedar and Western Hemlock should also be included.
6. Promotion of the conservation and enhancement of forest biodiversity through the expansion of The Native Woodland Scheme and the restoration of important habitats.
7. Consideration be given to funding the entire forestry programme through a carbon tax subvention. Funding for forestry should be budgeted on a multi-annual basis thereby ensuring the sustainability of the industry. Besides the planting programme, the funding should also address the infrastructural needs of the sector through the continuation of a grant scheme for forest roads.
8. The Forest Service fund the amenity, recreation and all outdoor forest pursuit aspects of Coillte’s activities.
9. The National Forest Inventory carried out by the Forest Service is updated on an ongoing basis with a view to providing accurate data on future timber supplies.
10. The potential impacts of climate change on silviculture, long- term forest productivity and biodiversity be reviewed and quantified and actions put in place to minimise same. This to culminate in the publication of a climate change action plan for the forestry sector.
11. An in depth review of the new and expanding broadleaf sector, and the potential market for home grown hardwoods, with a view to ensuring maximum return to growers.
12. Encouraging the increased use of wood as an energy source.
13. Consideration be given to the promotion of much closer cooperation between all timber growers and the processing sector in order to ensure greater efficiencies within the industry thereby enabling Irish timber gain a greater foothold in both domestic and export markets.
14. The Forest Service Forest Protection Contingency Plan is updated to guard against the possible introduction of dangerous pests and diseases.
15. The Forest Service Code of Best Forest Practice, Standard and suite of Environmental Guidelines are revised and updated in the context of the most recent research findings, developments in forest technology and in line with the needs of forest certification.
16. More emphasis on the control of invasive plant species (e.g. laurel, rhododendron, snowberry, Himalayan balsam) and deer and grey squirrels in woods and wood fringe areas.
17. The introduction of a deer- culling programme in association with the NPWS and other stakeholders.
18. Continued monitoring of the risk posed by the grey squirrel to the expanding broadleaf estate and active promotion of control programmes aimed at the eradication of the pest.
19. Further support for north-south co-operation and initiatives, especially in relation to plant health and the control of invasive species.
20. Actions to enhance the conservation of key plant and animal species including the red squirrel.
21. Revision of the Forest Service National Forest Biodiversity Plan 2002.
McAreeD.(2002) The Forest Service Biodiversity Plan. Biology and Environment. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 102B:183-184.
22. Promotion of riparian woodlands with a view to counteracting flooding and enhancing water quality.
23. Funding be made available to Bord Na Mona to enable the findings of the BOGFOR project on tree planting on cutaway bog to be implemented.
24. Efforts be made to streamline the planting grant, roading grant and felling application procedures.
25. A scheme for the protection and management of veteran trees and ancient woodland be introduced. Improved co-ordination between Forest Service and the Local Authorities to ensure better tree protection through felling licences and tree preservation orders.
26. Continued financial support for innovative community projects like the Neighbourwood Scheme.
27. Increased funding be made available for Crann and other such organisations to facilitate the promotion and public awareness of forestry.
28. Adequate funding should be made available to fund forest research. Innovative and creative research and development is vital to the success of the forest industry. The Forest Service should play a more active role in the identification, evaluation, funding and implementation of national forest research. With this in mind Crann supports the continued involvement of all State agencies[1] including Coillte, Teagasc, and the third level institutions. Crann fully supports increased forestry research investment to strengthen existing markets, develop new products and so create lasting employment. Some consideration should also be given to the use of alternative species such as poplar, eucalyptus, birch and rowan. Crann believes the following are the key research priority areas:
· Tree improvement, particularly broadleaf species.
· Optimum utilisation of home-grown hardwoods
· The use of woody biomass for energy.
· Biological control of pests and diseases, as alternatives to the use of pesticides
· The impact of forest recreation on the health and well being of society.
· Restoration and reconstitution of unproductive woodlands.
· Research funding should be allocated on a priority basis to ensure that Irish forestry practice conforms to the Pan European Guidelines for Afforestation and Reforestation with a special focus on the provisions of the UNFCCC MCPFE, (August 2009) and specifically in this regard that forestry enhances water quality e.g. planting riparian woodland and the use of slow release chelated fertilisers.
http://www.foresteurope.org/filestore/mcpfe/Publications/pdf/Pan-EuropeanAfforestationReforestationGuidelines.pdf
Certification
The concept of certification, of both forest management and forest products, is still new to Ireland and while Coillte and the Irish Forestry Unit Trust (IForUT) have both carried FSC certification for some years now, to many involved in the industry, certification remains either a mystery or the belief persists that it is irrelevant in an Irish context due to our fairly highly developed regulatory structure. This belief is of course a mistaken one as demand across the developed world for credibly certified forest products is increasing rapidly, irrespective of the country of origin.
Crann supports forest certification. The organisation is proud to be represented on the PEFC Irish Forest Certification Standard Forum, and played a key role in negotiating the recent draft PEFC Irish Forest Certification Standard, which is currently at the public consultation stage, Crann believes strongly that all timber procurement policies, whether public or private, must adopt an inclusive approach to credible, independent third party certification schemes.
Ireland continues to import unacceptable volumes of illegally logged and unsustainably produced timber. Crann is aware that the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has begun work on a substantially revised and more comprehensive public timber procurement policy, which will hopefully be along similar lines to that already implemented by the UK Government, Crann believes the Forest Service has an integral part to play in this area of policy and that any review of Forest Policy must encompass the essential role of forest management and chain of custody certification schemes in the sustainable development of our industry.
Summary
Given the inevitable changes in land use in the short term, and the more medium to longer- term impacts of climate change, CRANN believes forestry has an increasingly important and pivotal role to play in Ireland’s future. The organisation looks forward to playing a positive and constructive role in enhancing and supporting the forestry and woodland sector, thereby ensuring its potential is fully realised. CRANN is available to expand further on the points raised above should the need arise.
CRANN P.O. Box 860, Celbridge, Co. Kildare Tel: 01-627 5075
Email: Website: www.crann.ie Registered Charity No. CHY 13698
[1] CRANN is concerned at the recent demise of COFORD and the need to ensure the excellent research programmes it promoted and continues to promote are sustained into the future.