Submission to Forestry Policy Review
Gerhardt Gallagher B.Agr. Sc. (For) Ph.D. MSIF
The following are some key issues to be addressed
- A restatement of the aim of achieving critical mass in the Forestry Sector. Are there new criteria?
- A firm but realistic commitment to establishing new forests. A 10,000 ha programme +or- 2000 ha. would seem achievable. If so the time scale may be different to that in Growing for the Future. Such a targets should be net of deforestation.
- A re look at Peter Clinches assessment of the economics of Irish Forestry in the light of new information on Carbon sequestration and the social / recreational; values of forestry.
- A renewed commitment to Forest Research with the security of multi annual funded projects including basic studies into new tree derivatives.
- A new focus on quality assurance to insure that such schemes are effective – the aim being that quality is achieved both in production and environmental sectors.
- A mechanism to ensure that some benefits of the carbon storage of forests gets back to the landowner.
- A new commitment to the promotion of forestry projects as part of Irelands development aid programme.
- A commitment to continue National Forest Inventory.
- A level playing pitch for wood derived renewable energy v/v other sources.
- A revaluation within the DAFF of the importance and real value of forestry as a replacement/ additional farmer enterprise with the appropriate allocation of resources. This might follow on the work of Kearney and others since the ‘90s.This would entail an analysis of the value of other Agriculture based schemes with a view to prioritising.
- A commitment towards an effective promotion of public awareness of forestry in contributing to economic growth and social development.
- Finalising a new Forestry Act.