None So Hardy Forestry Ltd

Paulbeg ,

Shillelagh

Co Wicklow

Consultation on Accepted Tree Species for Grant Aid and Accepted Seed Origins Provenances

As the main plant supplier to the private afforestation scheme in Ireland, we feel the urgent need to comment on the current draft proposals.

There is one significant change in the proposed draft from the previous list of recommended species and provenances. This change is to the main species of the Forestry Programme (i.e. Sitka Spruce) and it was just tucked into a subsection of the new draft and could easily be missed.

The proposed decision to remove Improved Sitka Spruce QCI from the programme after the 2017-18 planting season is counterproductive and very dangerous. One of the objectives of the new draft is to “maintain and enhance the productivity and wood quality of the forest estate and to facilitate diversifying further the species we plant.”

Why then should we exclude this most proven productive provenance, with the best science behind it? This in turn would significantly narrow the gene pool of the plants used in the Forestry Programme 2015-2020.

As in our previous submissions we have major concerns over this course of action. The 3 main areas of concerns we see are as follows:

  1. Seed Availability
  2. Forest Establishment under the Private Afforestation Scheme
  3. Timber Quality
  1. Seed availability of the proposed provenances.

There isn’t sufficient supply of the Improved Washington seed available for even half of our current production. Our nurseries production is scheduled to increase with the projected lift in afforestation as set out in the new Forestry Programme. We are also now entering a significant reforestation demand. In the absence of enough Improved Washington Seed are we to go back to Select or even Source Identified Washington? (As proposed in this Draft)

Without a secure supply of proposed material the rest of this consultation process is irrelevant.

  1. Forest Establishment

We have completed our seventh season supplying Improved QCI Sitka Spruce.

For the first four of these seasons, we also supplied “select” Washington to customers in suitable coastal regions.

As a result in the contrast of the strike rate between both provenances, Improved Q.C.I is now demanded by customers / foresters right across the country.

Washington provenances on the nursery and planting site have been damaged by frost and wind.

On the planting sites they were replaced the following year with improved QCI.

Despite this improved seed being six times the cost each year to us, we believe there is an obligation to protect the land owner and limit the risk of failures and extra remedial costs. Provenances more susceptible to frost and wind damage create huge problems and expense to the forester ahead of the sites four year inspection. Therefore we consciously discontinued our Washington production 4 years ago moving over entirely to the current forestry commission material.

We were aware of how well this material was performing and when a constant supply of this material became available we felt it was incumbent on us to provide this material to our customers. This decision became inescapable and was facilitated by the sixty years of research and trials by the UK Forestry Commission on their improved material, and also on our own experiences from using both Washington and Improved QCI provenances. We are fortunate to have over 45 million Sitka Spruce (improved QCI) provenance planted across the Irish landscape over the past seven seasons.

The strike rate, establishment and growth of these plants are exceptional which has been noted by foresters from all companies in all counties and QCI improved is now their first choice material.

QCI improved outgrows “select” Washington planted on the same site and planted at the same time, while dramatically reducing the risk of frost and wind damage.

This is supported by case studies already carried out by ourselves and Green Belt on particular sites where due to end of season plant supply in 2012, both Washington and Improved QCI were planted in separate blocks but on the one site. *photographs attached *

  1. Timber Quality

As stated in previous submissions we have concerns that too often the focus can be on plant vigour and productivity rather than the timber quality of the end product. It is imperative that any discussion on timber quality must involve the end users i.e. the saw millers and timber processors. The Forestry Commission material shows

  1. Increased vigour
  2. Improvements in stem Form
  3. Reduction in size and number of Branches

The Forestry Commission Breeding programme is constantly evolving with later seed Orchards showing increased improvements in timber quality and stem form.

In contrast the Danish Breeding Programme material is aimed at biomass production. It shows

  1. Increased Vigour
  2. Increase in size and number of branches.

Also there are no further developments being advanced with this programme as their Sitka Breeding Programme is discontinued.

Conclusions:

  • The exclusion of “unimproved” material, regardless of provenance would achieve better plant quality going forward. The suggested exclusion of improved QCI whilst advocating unimproved Washington is to the contrary.
  • The reasons for excluding best quality improved QCI after the 2017/2018 planting season needs to be fully explained.
  • We see this draft as a missed opportunity. There are other provenances which should be looked at to enhance the quality in our Forests.e.g. Norway Spruce and Oak .
  • Climate change being such an important issue now we should be exploring other species and provenances to broaden the palette of planting material.
  • None So Hardy Forestry Ltd has improved Sitka Spruce currently already in the ground and earmarked for the 2018/2019 planting programme. At this time we are also finalising our seed order with suppliers for sowing spring 2016 to ensure continuity of plant supply for our customers.

Therefore we find it difficult to understand why we were not included in the original circular regarding the draft proposals. As a consequence we have major concerns over the consultation process to date as it has shown itself to be without substance and tokenistic at best.

  • What has become evident is that any meaningful consultation must take the form of a Ministerial appointed steering group made up of Nurseries, Forestry Companies, Saw millers, IFA , Forest Owners, Forest Service, Teagasc , and other relevant Research Organisations.