Forestry & Energy Review - Vol 13 Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2023

Forestry & Energy REVIEW Volume 13 Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2023 Price €5.95. £5.00 (Stg)

THE VOICE OF FORESTRY & RENEWABLE ENERGY

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

NATIONAL FOREST INVENTORY

TREE VOLUME AND CARBON CALCULATOR

EFFECTIVE RESPONSE REQUIRED

TEN KEY FINDINGS

NEW UPGRADE NOW AVAILABLE

>> SEE PAGE 17

>> SEE PAGE 40

>> SEE PAGE 38

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) provides a range of information on forestry, associated grants and felling licences.

The COFORD, Wood Technology Ireland and Wood Energy websites listed below are hosted by DAFM and provide a range of information important for the development of the forest sector.

The relevant websites are: www.gov.ie/forestry Forestry Grants and S • Forestry Licence Viewer • Online management tools

www.woodtechnologyireland.ie Independent advice on the specification and use of wood products, and on timber standards

www.woodenergy.ie Advisory service on the wood biomass supply chain and wood fuels

www.coford.ie Download COFORD publications and Connect Notes

For up-to-date and detailed information on forestry grant schemes, visit

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/e384e-forestry-grants-and-schemes/ For contact details of your local Teagasc Forestry Advisor, visit www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/

Foreword/Contents/Credits

Forestry & Energy REVIEW Volume 13 Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2023

Features

14 Transformation of Sitka spruce stands to Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF): Synergies and Trade-off

In the 1920’s only 1% was forest, however (partially thanks to an increased awareness of forest benefits, functions, and products) now over 11% of the land area is forested.

17 An Effective Response To The Climate Emergency Is Needed

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In May 2019 the Dáil declared a climate emergency in response to an Oireachtas report on Climate Action. The proposal to declare a climate emergency was accepted by government and opposition parties alike.

22 Positive Outcomes from Forestry Knowledge Transfer Groups

In March 2022, the re-opening of the DAFM supported Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme was announced. Knowledge transfer groups are a well-established method of sharing knowledge and best practice across a range of farming enterprises including Dairy, Beef and Sheep.

24 McHale Plant Sales Extends Presence In Forestry Sector

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38 Foreword

W

elcome to the Spring/Summer Edition of Forestry & Energy Review Magazine.

We are looking forward to the Talking Timber event on May 23rd with Athlone Springs Hotel being the venue; always a very informative event with an opportunity to meet like-minded people, and hope to meet you there.

An upgraded Tree volume and carbon calculator has been issued which estimates the volume of the tree using data input by the user: diameter at breast and tree height. The accuracy of the calculator has been verified through extensive testing and comparison to traditional measurement methods and has been found to be highly reliable.

The National Forest Inventory has been issued with some very interesting findings: Publisher: Denis Lane Tel. + 353 91 777222 Email: dlane@dawnmedia.ie Production: Lauren McGregor Shauna Quinn Contributors: Noel Kennedy Teagasc Marie Doyle UCD Sarah Keenan UCD Charles Harper UCD Killian Murphy UCD Virginia Morera-Pujol UCD Barry MacMahon UCD Dr Simone Ciuti UCD Maarten Nieuwenhuis UCD

Tom Kent SETU Tom Houlihan Teagasc Michael Somers Teagasc John Casey Teagasc Oliver Sheridan Teagasc Jonathan Spazzi Teagasc Dr. Ian Short Teagasc Dr. James Moran GMIT Dr. Daire Ó hUallacháin UCD Dr. John Finn UCD John O’Connell LTWO Jonathan Sykes LTWO Fergus Moore DAFM Eugene Curran DAFM Rachel Irwin Teagasc Niall Farrelly Teagasc Aine Ni Dhubhain UCD Eugene Hendrick SmartEarth Dr Dheeraj Rathore Teagasc Eibhlín Vaughan UCD

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The national forest estate is still expanding and has now reached 11.6% of total land area.

For the first time over half of forests are in private ownership.

The age profile of forests is increasing with 30.4% being between the ages of 21 and 30 years.

New distributorship heightens involvement in areas of ecological interest.

26 Specialists In Timber Harvesting And Extraction

Brophy Timber Services Ltd is a company which specialises in timber harvesting and extraction. It has been operating out of Mountrath, Co Laois since 2008. In this time both the company and the industry it operates in have changed enormously.

32 Forest Roads Scheme – Unlocking Potential in Irish Forests The Forest Roads Scheme delivered under the new Forestry Programme will provide enhanced opportunities and supports to forest owners to access their forests and facilitate forest management and the mobilisation of timber.

38 Ireland’s Tree Volume and Carbon Calculator The single tree volume model TreeModel got a major upgrade in December 2022 and is now more accessible in its new home on gov.ie.

See the article for further detail.

Hoping you all Keep safe during these challenging times.

We trust you will enjoy reading this publication which will continue to provide a voice for the Forestry and Energy sectors.

40 Ireland’s National Forest Inventory

The Publisher Forestry & Energy Review

They provide the tools, you create the masterpiece!

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John O’Sullivan UCD Fiachra O’Loughlin UCD Mary Kelly-Quinn UCD Eva Freeney UCD Johnathan Turner UCD Kevin O Connell Teagasc Joe Harrington MTU Rodhraí Crowley MTU Denis Mahon DAFM Brendan Fitzsimons Tree Council Brian Tobin UCD Susie Foreman UCD Conor O Reilly UCD Ian Short Teagasc Ken Byrne UL Mike Clancy UL Liwen Xiao TCD Mark O Connor TCD Ana de Miguel Munoz SETU

Enda Coates SETU Brian Cronin SETU Grace Jones Teagasc Emma Fuller Teagasc Dheeraj Rathore Teagasc Distribution: EM News Newspread Published by: Dawn Media Ltd, 2 Barrack St Clarinbridge Co Galway Tel. + 353 91 777 222 Email: dlane@dawnmedia.ie

All material contained in this edition is copyright of Forestry and Energy Review 2023 and may not be reproduced or electronically stored without the permission of the publisher. However items may be freely reproduced provided the source is acknowledged.

Content and views expressed in the publication do not necessarily represent those of the publishers.

The National Forest Inventory (NFI) was implemented to record and assess the extent and nature of Ireland’s forests, both public and private, in a timely, accurate and reproducible manner.

46 The Saw Doctor - Crafting Your Woodworking Dreams Since 2015

48 Crossover Opportunities A Path To Growth For Forestry Contractors?

We’ve all heard the old saying: ‘stick to what you know best’.

52 Forestry and Direct Payment Matters

It’s that time of year again to focus on your Direct Payments. With the new CAP 2023-2027 in place, the Direct Payments 2023 includes a number of new schemes replacing previous schemes.

58 Teagasc Research Update - Fighting A Threat To Alder Emma Fuller and Dheeraj Rathore report on the Irish Research Council-funded ExAl project.

Forestry&Energy

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News

Marteloscope Forest Management Workshops 2023

T

eagasc’ upcoming “marteloscope” forest management workshops allow forest owners and other interested landowners to learn more about sustainable, multifunctional forest management.

These popular workshops adopt a facilitation-style format and encourage participants to learn by doing, leading to group discussions and valuable peer-to-peer learning.

The main aims of these workshops are: • to consider different forest management scenarios • to practise the key skill of selecting trees by their quality, vigour and biodiversity value • to demonstrate in practice how management can help integrate production with biodiversity and other important services that forests can provide The planned dates include:

Date

Event

Time

Contact

April 19

Teagasc Research Centre, Oak Park, Co Carlow

10am – 4pm

Jonathan Spazzi

May 3

Teagasc Research Centre, Oak Park, Co Carlow

10am – 4pm

Jonathan Spazzi

May 17

Teagasc Research Centre, Oak Park, Co Carlow

10am – 4pm

Jonathan Spazzi

MEMBERSHIP FEE €30.00 PER YEAR

JOIN NOW IRISHAGROFORESTRY.IE

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS: ACCESS TO IAF EXPERT KNOWLEDGE VIA JISCMAIL DISCUSSION GROUP AND “ASK THE EXPERT” EMAIL | DISCOUNTED RATES FOR FARM VISITS AND ANNUAL CONFERENCES | CONTRIBUTE TO POLICY CHANGE | MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN AGROFORESTRY FEDERATION

The Irish Agroforestry forum was formed in 2021. Its main aim is to promote agroforestry as a sustainable land-use option across the island of Ireland. The group networks and advocates where possible, to help inform policy and future agroforestry scheme development. The forum is a membership organisation for farmers and other interested individuals. It provides members with agroforestry information and networking opportunities to help positively influence policy change.

Silvopasture can be part of a sustainable farming model on livestock farms here in Ireland, both for improved animal welfare and for an improved farm environment. The choice of tree, system design, and location will be important to the successful rollout of agroforestry into existing farm systems. The IAF believes that it is vital that farmers help design how trees will fit into their farming enterprises, creating a more sustainable farming model whilst allowing food production to continue.

The Irish Agroforestry Forum Education and Promotion Programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.

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Forestry&Energy

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News

New appointments to the Teagasc Forestry Development Department team

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aul Butler has been recently appointed Teagasc Forestry Liaison Officer based in the Teagasc Campus, Athenry where he will promote farm forestry through talks, courses and events with a special emphasis on integrating forestry into Teagasc agricultural courses nationwide.

Paul graduated with a Degree in Environmental Science and worked in Environmental and Farm Education for two years before gaining extensive experience in South America working on the integration of farm crops and permanent forest cover in agricultural projects. This included working for over two years in the Manu Biosphere reserve in the Peruvian Amazon and other projects in Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia.

Returning to Ireland he was involved in a number of private afforestation projects for a number of years and also worked with National Parks & Wildlife Service (then Duchas) in Glenveagh National Park. While there he completed a Masters degree in Forestry in UCD including a thesis on teak plantation growth rates in El Salvador.

For a number of years he supplied forest tree seeds to Coillte nurseries and planted his own land with an Alder and Birch woodland.

Paul is interested in the non-wood values of trees and forests, including recreation, food forests and environmental stability. Of particular interest is the role that forests can play in our mental health.

Contact Details Paul is based between Teagasc Athenry, Co. Galway and Teagasc, Westport, Co.Mayo Email Paul.Butler@teagasc.ie; Telephone +353(0)91 845894 / +353(0)87 1999182

R

ory Newell has been recently appointed Teagasc Forestry Research Technician based in the Teagasc Campus, Athenry. In this role he will provide technical support to a team of Teagasc researchers and students across the forestry research programme including the establishment, measurement and management of a range of forestry trials in Teagasc centres and a number of field sites throughout the country.

Rory has a strong background in plant husbandry and nursery stock production with a degree in horticulture through Kildalton College and WIT. He was involved in ex-situ plant conservation programmes with Vietnamese colleagues and as a chief propagator has specialised in the propagation of rare and unusual plants including many conifers and broadleaf tree species.

Rory is a public speaker and member of the RHSI, the RHS Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Society and the Irish Specialist Nursery Association (ISNA). He is also the producer of horticultural content for various horticultural podcasts and contributor to various horticultural publications.

Contact Details Rory is based in Teagasc, Athenry, Co. Galway Email Rory.Newell@teagasc.ie ; Telephone +353 (0)91 845825 / +353 (0)87 1920910

Teagasc Forestry Events 2023 Date

Event

Venue

April 12 - 28

Spring Forest Walks 2023

Various locations

April 19, May 3, May 17

Marteloscope Forest Management Workshops 2023

Teagasc Research Centre, Oak Park, Co Carlow

May 23

Talking Timber - conifer timber marketing event

Athlone Springs Hotel, Monksland, Athlone, Co Roscommon

June 1 - 6

Bloom - Teagasc Marquee

Phoenix Park

June 21

Forestry Presence at Teagasc Tillage Open Day

Oak Park, Co Carlow

July 4

Forestry Presence at Teagasc Dairy Open Day

Moorepark, Co Cork

July 6

Continuous Cover Event

Dromcolliher, Co Limerick

July 20

Forestry Presence at Energy and Farm Business Show

Gurteen College, Co Tipperary

August 13

Forest & Energy Section at the Tullamore Show

Blueball, Tullamore, Co Offaly

September 19 - 21

National Ploughing Championships Teagasc Marquee

Ratheniska, Co Laois

TBC

Teagasc / DAFM Information Meetings Forestry Programme 2023-2027

Online

TBC

Signpost Forestry Webinar

Online

TBC

Woodland for Water Event

Co Cork

TBC

Forest Establishment Walks

Various locations

See www.teagasc.ie/forestry for more details 6

Forestry&Energy

New Opportunity for Forest Owners Have you, or are you about to receive your final premium payment from the Forest Service?

If so, why not unlock the Future Value of your Forest?

NewGen Forestry Limited is currently offering the perfect solution to landowners looking for a hassle-free, annual income from their forest.

If your forest is 15 years or older, NewGen is offering you the option of selling the harvesting rights to your forest. In return NewGen will offer you an attractive upfront payment plus an annuity payment for up to 20 years. This will provide you with a new and innovative income stream while you, the forest owner, retain 100% ownership of your land. NewGen will also provide a reforestation payment to help replant your forest once felled.

Contact your NewGen Forester - John O’Reilly john@newgenforestry.ie 087 408 4998

www.newgenforestry.ie

News

Talking Timber 2023 - Athlone - 23rd May 2023

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date for your diary is Teagasc’ popular timber marketing day Talking Timber which is coming to the Athlone Springs Hotel on Tuesday 23rd May. This year’s theme “Planning towards sustainable timber production” will explore how forest owners and the wider industry can adapt their management and strategic planning to meet increasing sustainability challenges in growing, harvesting and selling timber.

Organised by Teagasc in association with DAFM and Forests Industry Ireland, Talking Timber will again offer forest owners with timber to sell a great opportunity to hear about current timber markets, view harvested logs and timber products and network with a wide range of forest industry representatives.

Attendance at Talking Timber will require online registration. Event organiser Noel Kennedy from Teagasc said; “After last year’s large attendance in Roscrea I strongly advise early online registration to guarantee your attendance in Athlone. We look forward to seeing you”.

For more information and registration please see https://www. teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/events/

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Backleas, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal, F93AD62 Props: John & Tony Gallinagh Tel: 0749132612 John: 087 6988481 Tony 087 2516806 8

Forestry&Energy

Teagasc Forestry Services

Research

Advice

Training

Our research covers many aspects of the life cycle of a forest from seedling to sawdust. Research is carried out in Teagasc research centres in state-of-the-art laboratories and growing facilities and on privately owned farm forests throughout Ireland.

Teagasc provides objective and independent advisory services to all private landowners on forestry related matters.

Teagasc forestry advisors provide free, independent and objective advice on any technical or financial aspect regarding forestry.

Teagasc offers a wide range of QQI certified practical courses.

Topics can include formative shaping of broadleaves and timber measurement. A forestry qualification from Teagasc enables students to develop wide ranging and interesting careers.

For more information: Visit www.teagasc.ie/forestry Follow @teagascforestry on social media

News

Forestry presence at 2023 BTYSTE and ESB Science Blast

T

he Forestry Development Department was represented on the Teagasc stands at both the 2023 BTYSTE (BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition) and ESB Science Blast by forest research officer Dr.Dheeraj Rathore.

Dheeraj used the opportunity to promote forest research and forestry in general to the younger generation of scientists and their teachers. Specialising in tree improvement he focussed on his research on ash dieback to bring awareness about the disease, its spread, and how to look for healthy ash trees.

‘Can we save the Common Ash? a project by Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Co.Dublin won the DAFM Special Award at BTYSTE. The project was supported by Teagasc through the involvement of Dheeraj who provided advice to the Loreto project team and access to plant material, ash genotypes and fungal cultures.

Following the two events Dheeraj Rathore commented “It was a learning curve to get the opportunity to interact with a young generation of scientists about forestry through events like ESB Science Blast and BTYSTE and to have to amazing conversations with these inspiring primary and secondary school kids and their teachers.”

Teagasc celebrates United Nations International Day of Forests

T

eagasc staff in Mellows Campus, Athenry, Co.Galway celebrated “United Nations International Day of Forests” on 21st March 2023 with number of short presentations and discussions about the importance of our trees and forests followed by the planting of a number of trees to enhance campus biodiversity and landscape for current and future generations.

“United Nations International Day of Forests” was established by the UN General Assembly in 2012 as a day to appreciate the importance of forests and of trees to our world and to raise awareness of the threat

of runaway deforestation. Over 32 million acres of forests are lost with every passing year removes vital habitats for numerous plant and animal species, lowers carbon dioxide absorption and oxygen production, and increases the world’s collective carbon footprint.

Forestry in Ireland stands at 11% of the total land area of Ireland (National Forest Inventory 2017) estimated to be at its highest level in over 350 years. With the launch of the governments new forestry fund program it is hoped that there will be an increase in planting across the next number of years.

Timber Measurement Courses Attract Strong Interest

A

lmost one hundred forest owners attended a nationwide series of Teagasc timber measurement courses run in March.

Organised in association with the Forestry Division, DAFM the practical timber measurement courses introduced attendees to the concepts of thinning and methods to measure conifer crops in preparation of first or second thinning, At courses run in Cavan, Roscommon, Laois, Carlow and Cork and hosted in local farm forests, Teagasc forestry advisers discussed the importance of and concepts underpinning thinning and demonstrated a range of important measuring techniques applicable to first and second thinning. A key aspect of the courses was the opportunity for the forest owners to practise and consolidate what they had been shown with a variety of practical tree marking exercises using thinning scenarios.

Emphasising the message that well planned and executed thinning concentrates growth on the best trees to maintain forest productivity and optimise economic returns, the courses provided a number of outcomes for forest owners including: • Finding out if a forest is ready for thinning • Determining the productivity of the forest • Estimating the volume to be removed • Determining what trees should be removed in 1st and 2nd thinnings • Estimating the percentage of pulp, stake and palletwood assortments • Examining other factors that may affect the thinning intervention and outcomes

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Forestry&Energy

With the fast growth rates of our conifer forests and baring in mind potential delays in felling licences and forest road grant approvals, road construction/maintenance, organising a timber sales and subsequent harvesting, there was a strong take home message for forest owners to

PONSSE LAUNCHED A UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY CONCEPT Ponsse’s fundamental purpose of developing sustainable solutions for the benefit of our customers and the environment is more topical today than ever before. Recognizing that technologies drive all change, we have utilized new digital solutions in our new machines in a more versatile way We aim to offer more comprehensive solutions that are able to help our customers ensure both the productivity of their work and fulfilment of their responsibility targets even better than before. Together we can continue discovering new ways to develop the world to a better direction.

The EV1 is a concept forwarder equipped with fully electric drive, utilizing the advanced Epec Flow electrification system. The noise and exhaust levels have been minimized, without having to make any sacrifices in productivity. This concept enables the testing of new technologies in a real operating environment. Thus, it naturally supports the experimental culture that Ponsse is known for.

This technology concept enables, for the first time in the history of forest machines, measuring the trees that are left in the forest in addition to the trees that are harvested.

The objective is to recognize the trees around the harvester as well as their precise position. Using the gathered data, an assistant has been developed to guide the driver in finding the right thinning density.

For more information on the EV1 please contact your local sales team.

Ponsse Ireland Sales: +353 851 514 174

A loggers best friend www.ponsse.com

Irish Forestry

Family Tree Impact investments (FTI) operated

by NewGen Forestry offer a new and Innovative Income Stream to Forest Owners Initial target of 2000ha of harvesting rights fast approaching

T

he recently launched forestry investment platform, Family Tree Impact Investments (“FTI”), operated by sustainable forestry manager NewGen Forestry, is actively acquiring forestry harvesting rights from existing plantation owners.

FTI and NewGen are fast approaching their initial target: the acquisition of 2000 ha of harvesting rights.

FTI – NewGen offer a new and innovative income stream to forest owners.

In return for the acquisition of harvesting rights from the forest owner, FTI offers landowners the opportunity to receive up to 30% of the forest value upfront, with the balance being paid over a maximum term of 20 years in an annuity-like, inflation linked, income stream (term of annuity is influenced by the age of the crop and the requirements of the forest owner).

FORESTRY SPECIFICATION NewGen will focus initially on forests that have come to, or are close to, the end of the Government’s Forest Service Premium scheme namely plantations that are 15 years old, or more.

Unlike a traditional forest sale, the owner does not have to sell the underlying land: instead NewGen will simply take over the management of the existing forestry removing all future operational

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Forestry&Energy

costs, including insurance costs, managing the licensing process, attaining environmental approvals and general reporting costs that the forest owner traditionally incurs.

Under the terms of the deal, NewGen will also provide a reforestation payment to replant the forest.

The proposed model addresses some of the major concerns voiced by forest owners; • How do I manage my forest when I stop receiving premium payments from the Government?

• How do I pay for the replanting of my forest?

The attraction for private forest owners is the assurance of annual premium payments after State payments cease, rather than depending on the irregular income from thinnings and eventual clearfells.

The scheme applies to productive coniferous forests over 4ha, ideally 15 years of age and over.

CASE STUDY Experience of a forest owner who decided to license his harvesting rights to NewGen / FTI In 1999, Edmond O’Byrne, a dairy farmer working 38ha in Ballycappoge Co Wexford, examined his options around changing to a land use that would provide him with a good economic return and a

Irish Forestry

better lifestyle.

His dairy farm, whilst profitable, had its drawbacks. Some years, grazing was confined to a six-month window as Edmond struggled to intensively farm on a wet & heavy clay soil. Although the land was unsuited to certain farming enterprises, the land was ideal for forestry, so Edmond decided to plant his farm.

Edmond enjoyed the benefit of receiving a forestry premium payment each year but in 2020 these premium payments came to an end.

BENEFITS OF REGULAR INCOME Whilst he had since established his own business, including part-time work with RNLI, Edmond values the certainty provided by an annual income. “An annual and steady cashflow is important, I can plan my finances and I better understand my overall financial position” says O’ Byrne.

Edmond understands the value of his forest in terms of thinning yields and final harvest, but the new 20-year horizon of annual premium payments plus an upfront lump sum offered by NewGen offered Edmond several benefits over an irregular income and the headache and cost of trying to manage his forest crop. Accordingly, Edmond decided to enter a license agreement with NewGen to sell the harvesting rights to his current crop of trees.

Edmond noted that: “my children are pursuing their own careers and are not attracted to working a holding of this size, but in saying that I didn’t want to sell the land should they ever wish to return”.

NewGen construct forest road in preparation for first thinning

“Under the scheme offered by NewGen, I retain ownership of the land as I am only selling the harvesting rights to the current crop of timber”.

REFORESTATION PAYMENT “The scheme also makes a reforestation payment to cover the cost of replanting the site after clearfell and this removes any concerns I have about the cost and impact of replanting the site”.

SUMMARY “On balance this scheme suited my requirements and in economic terms converted the future value of my forest into annual cashflow but in personal terms it removed any concerns I had about insurance, licencing, managing contractors and risk around windblow and future pricing” NEWGEN POSITION This forest fits into NewGen’s investment portfolio, according to John O’Reilly, Forest Operations Manager and Director of NewGen Forestry, “The crop is primarily Sitka Spruce and the yield class (YC) is a strong 22m3/ha/annum” he says.

“The crop has undergone one thinning, so our plan is to carry out one and possibly two more thinnings before clearfell at year 35 - 38.”

O’Reilly says.

Forestry&Energy 121

Continuous Cover Forestry

Transformation of Sitka spruce stands to Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF): Synergies and Trade-off In the 1920’s only 1% was forest, however (partially thanks to an increased awareness of forest benefits, functions, and products) now over 11% of the land area is forested.

A

bout half of this forest is Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) plantations. Sitka spruce is commonly planted in Ireland because it has fast growth and is suitable for the available markets. At the end of the forest rotation, a plantation forest is often harvested during a single operation (clearfelled) and then replanted. Over the last two decades there has been increasing interest in alternative forest management practices that do not require all of the trees to be felled at the same time. To research alternatives to clearfelling, the DAFM-funded ContinuFOR project trials different thinning options to transform an even-aged Sitka spruce plantation to continuous cover forestry (CCF). CCF often involves periodically harvesting a single tree or small groups of trees so the forest maintains some tree cover at all times. CCF can result in a more diverse forest structure with trees of different ages, sizes, and species, providing

additional benefits and functions.

In 2010, the DAFM-funded “Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS)” project selected two sites of Sitka spruce ready for their first thinning – Fossy Hill in Co. Laois and Ballycullen in Co. Wicklow.

These sites were divided into three blocks, and each block had three 50×50m plots placed within it. Three thinning treatments were then randomly assigned to the plots, so all treatments were represented in each block. The thinning treatments were: Low thinning, Crown thinning, and Graduated Density thinning (see description below).

Trial sites were then monitored and maintained by the LISS project and later during the Teagasc-funded TranSSFor project (2017-2021).

The work continues with the DAFM-funded four-year ContinuFOR project led by UCD with Teagasc and Maynooth University as partners and FERS Ltd. contracted for modelling tree growth. The work in

Grace Jones (Postdoctoral researcher, Teagasc) and Mark Whelan Spain (Bachelors Forestry student, UCD) measuring Time-of-Flight with the TreeSonic timer (Fakopp, Hungary) at Fossy Hill 14

Forestry&Energy

Continuous Cover Forestry

these projects has allowed numerous students and land managers to learn about continuous cover forestry operations, and for researchers to undertake specific smaller studies. Presently ContinuFOR has 6 main tasks that will investigate additional aspects of the transformation process while also continuing to monitor stand development over time.

THINNING TREATMENTS A common thinning regime in Ireland used in Sitka spruce stands (Low thinning) involves removing the smallest and poorest form stems, alongside any wolf trees. Wolf trees grow much faster than their neighbours and have a tendency to have poor form with bad branches.

Low thinning removes the smallest and worst stems so that the retained crop trees have more room to grow. It should result in a stand of trees that are a similar size and have a reasonable stem quality, and is suitable for clearfelling.

In Graduated Density and Crown thinning, high quality trees (Q-trees) are selected to have a neighbouring competing tree removed.

In these treatments, the Q-trees are favoured so they will have extra room to grow. This should mean higher volume growth for the superior trees. Unlike the Crown thinning, the Graduated Density treatment aims to create a broader range of tree sizes by removing more trees from the rows immediately next to the racks, and reducing the selection intensity further from the racks. At the second thinning, a new rack is made between the previous ones so that the thinning intensity gradient is reversed. This is easier to see in a diagram where the rack has 100% of stems removed during thinning 1 (a) and thinning 2 (b):

Illustration of Graduated Density Thinning indicating proportion of trees removed per row. From Vitková and Dhubháin (2013). a) 1st thinning intervention; b) 2nd thinning intervention.

SOME OF THE WORK WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN CONTINUFOR Trees in these trials have been individually monitored since 2010 during the LISS project. The trees are painted with identification numbers and 1.3 m height marks to ensure that the same tree can be measured at the same point over time. We have exact coordinates for each tree too, to help monitor changes in stand structural diversity and canopy openness. This allows us to report on individual tree size and how each tree has grown over the course of the trials. Basal area is the cross-sectional area of trees at 1.3 m height, and is important when considering tree growing space or for calculating volume. Some forest management plans aim to keep the basal area per hectare below a certain level to encourage natural regeneration, which is particularly important for CCF. We are incredibly lucky to have long-term trials that have been established, and continuously maintained and measured during earlier projects. We also appreciate the ongoing support and active involvement of the site owners.

Laura Harris (Maynooth University) has been taking photos to record canopy openness and will relate these to her understory species surveys. Photopoints and vegetation survey points were located throughout each plot on a sampling grid. Derek and Grace (Teagasc) measured diameter for every tree at both sites, and so canopy openness can also be compared to plot basal area. In addition, they measured a subsample of trees for height and length of green canopy. Height will help to estimate standing volume, but the length of the green canopy might relate to wood quality.

Maarten Nieuwenhuis and Fan Zhang (UCD) along with Kevin Black (FERS Ltd.) are assessing a range of existing single tree models to forecast growth for Irish CCF stands. They are also collating and assessing available data sources, evaluating and calibrating growth models, and evaluating and prioritising potential model extensions.

This should help predict the volume of wood in CCF stands at different sites, under different management regimes, and over time, to reduce the uncertainty around continuous cover forestry regimes. Some wood quality metrics are being measured for the trial sites by Grace (Teagasc), and hopefully we can compare time-of-flight (ToF) and wood density to site conditions, growth rate, and thinning treatment. These wood quality metrics are from a TreeSonic Timer (tool measures ToF in standing trees) and wooden cores taken from sample trees. ToF and wooden cores are non-destructive testing and evaluation methods since the tree stays standing. It is expected that trees with higher ToF will have a lower wood stiffness. Stiffness is important because it affects suitability for different structural uses; a board produced from a tree stem with low stiffness will likely sag or bend if any weight is added.

The current two ContinuFOR sites are due to be thinned for their fourth time in the coming months. Prior to each thinning operation selected trees from each treatment are marked for removal with orange

Photos taken with a fisheye lens by Laura Harris (PhD student, Maynooth University) showing the contrast between foliage and sky with different photo exposure settings.

Natural regeneration of Sitka spruce within a Ballycullen plot.

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Continuous Cover Forestry

Grace Jones, Derek Gibson, and Ian Short (Teagasc), Paddy Purser (Purser Tarleton Russell Ltd.) and Padraig O’Tuama (CCF Management) getting ready to mark trees for thinning. dashes, while trees of a superior quality (Q-trees with better form and branches) in the Crown and GDT treatments are also marked with white bands. The aim of the thinning in the Crown and GDT treatments is to favour these Q-trees, to provide them with more growing space, and to create an irregular canopy structure. This is in contrast to the Low thinning treatment, where the objective is to increase stand quality and uniformity. A special mark is also used if there is some biodiversity consideration (such as a nest) where the tree should be retained. The markings make it easier for the forest harvester operator to quickly select the right trees for felling, and also shows them which trees to protect. To keep the treatments consistent, the same percentage of trees, based on total plot basal area, were marked for removal (20% and 25% for Fossy Hill and Ballycullen respectively).

The machines need to have a path to move along (a rack) which is usually made during first and second thinning operations, by removing every 7-9th row of trees.

FUTURE WORK Now, the ContinuFOR project team is looking to set up a third trial site. A potentially suitable site will have six or more hectares (15 acres) of uniform Sitka spruce that are nearly ready for their first thinning. The Teagasc thinning ready reckoner can be used to inform whether a forest is ready for thinning. Ideally the forest will have a medium productivity and soil and be within 100 km of Dublin, but others further away can be considered.. Think this could be you? Get in touch with Ian or Grace (see below for contact details).

During the LISS project, a survey of Forestry professionals and Forest owners was conducted by Lucie Vítková and Áine Ní Dhubháin (UCD). Áine Ní Dhubháin will perform similar surveys this year to: a) determine the extent to which CCF/transformation to CCF is being practised in Ireland, and b) assess the perceived benefits, constraints, and drivers to CCF adoption. It will be interesting to see if the responses have changed over time, or if the same challenges and drivers are still affecting CCF in Ireland.

Forests are more than just timber, so John Devaney and Laura Harris (Maynooth University) will also investigate the non-timber services of CCF forests, including biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and climate resilience. Once the growth models are calibrated, carbon pools are estimated, and thinning data is collected, Áine Ní Dhubháin will compare the financial performance of the three thinning treatments.

A financial comparison of the costs and benefits (focussing on timber production and carbon dynamics) will be conducted using existing data from experimental plots and stands being transformed to CCF. As you can see, our project team has already been very busy but with much more to do, and this is only a small overview of the ContinuFOR project. Work is ongoing, so if you want to follow along or find out 16

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more feel free to check out our website (www.teagasc.ie/continufor/) and follow us on social media (#ContinuFOR on Instagram and Twitter) Contact details Dr Ian Short: Ian.Short@Teagasc.ie; 01 8059966 Dr Grace Jones: Grace.Jones@Teagasc.ie; 01 8059901 Teagasc Thinning Ready Reckoner is available here: https://www.teagasc.ie/ crops/forestry/advice/timber-harvesting/thinning-ready-reckoner/ The ContinuFOR project is funded by Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Project 2021R489).

Stakeholder meeting at Fossy Hill- many members and experts help guide our team

Climate

An Effective Response To The Climate Emergency Is Needed Eugene Hendrick

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n May 2019 the Dáil declared a climate emergency in response to an Oireachtas report on Climate Action. The proposal to declare a climate emergency was accepted by government and opposition parties alike. Implicit in the declaration was an acknowledgement that not enough was being done at national level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the underlying cause of the problem.

Few could argue with the proposal given the accumulated evidence from successive and increasingly certain assessment reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Global warming caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases resulting from human activity was causing dangerous and long-term changes to the earth’s climate system. The most recent IPCC synthesis report1, released

in the past weeks, makes the message even more stark, and the need for effective action ever more urgent: Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health.

There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. Climate resilient development integrates adaptation and mitigation to advance sustainable development for all, and is enabled by increased international cooperation including improved access to adequate financial resources, particularly for vulnerable regions, sectors and groups, and inclusive governance and coordinated policies. The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years.

Icebergs on a body of water - image courtesy of Pexels – Koen Swiers

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IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023, at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/

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Climate

Figure 1. The pattern of global primary energy consumption over the past 220 years.

BIOENERGY AND ITS ROLE IN TACKLING THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY – THE GLOBAL PICTURE The term climate emergency may not be best suited to frame a programme of deep emission reductions, out to 2050 and beyond.

Emergency measures tend by their nature to be short-lived. Reducing emissions from agriculture, land use and energy will take many decades, forests take time to remove carbon dioxide, and as emissions hopefully reduce towards the mid-century net-zero goal, each remaining tonne of greenhouse gas emissions will be harder and harder and more expensive to displace. Deployment of bioenergy solutions, including carbon capture and storage, needs to be over several decades, with a reliable policy framework to incentivise long-term investment.

We have become very dependent on fossil energy to fuel our lifestyles, particularly in developed countries. As populations have risen so has dependence on fossil-fuelled electricity and heating. A glance at the rise in primary energy consumption since 1800 shown in Figure 1, and the rise in the use of fossil fuels oil and natural gas (methane), from the middle of the last century puts the overall challenge into perspective.

The twin challenges are to reduce overall energy use through efficiency measures, and to displace fossil fuels, by the full suite of sustainable renewables, including modern biofuels.

These imperatives form the basis of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) report Net Zero by 20502, which provides a decarbonisation roadmap for the world’s energy sector to mid-century. The report addresses the bioenergy contribution across biogases, liquid biofuels and modern solid biomass. Global primary demand for bioenergy was almost 65 EJ in 2020, of which about 90% was solid biomass.

The IEA roadmap foresees a phasing out of traditional cooking methods based on solid biomass by 2030. While highly desirable, this outcome will be extremely difficult to achieve. The projection is that increases in all forms of modern bioenergy more than offset the projected phasing out of traditional uses, with production rising from less than 40 EJ in 2020 to around 100 EJ in 2050. To put these numbers into context, and according to the latest SEAI figures3, bioenergy contributed 21.5 PJ to overall energy supply in Ireland in 2021 (514 kTOE). This is equivalent to 0.021 EJ. In the net zero (NZE) roadmap all bioenergy in 2050 comes from sustainable sources. The sum of the bioenergy use data, shown in Figure 2 is well below estimates of global bioenergy potential. This would avoid the risk of negative impacts on biodiversity, fresh water systems, 18

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and on food prices and availability.

The IEA report goes on to state. Bioenergy is a versatile renewable energy source that can be used in all sectors, and it can often make use of existing transmission and distribution systems and end-user equipment.

But there are constraints on expanding the supply of bioenergy, and possible trade-offs with sustainable development goals, including avoiding conflicts at local level with other uses of land, notably for food production and biodiversity protection.

Figure 2. IEA forecasted share of modern bioenergy in total energy supply in its Net Zero Scenario.(The actual contribution to TES (total energy supply) is just below 20% when conversion losses during the production of biofuels and biogases are taken into account).

Report can be accessed at https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050 SEAI, ENERGY IN IRELAND 2022 Report. https://www.seai.ie/publications/Energy-in-Ireland-2022.pdf.

December 2022, Version 1.1

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Climate PROMOTION AND USE OF SOLID BIOMASS – PRACTICAL EXAMPLES Modern bioenergy in the Irish context means well-specified solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, sustainably sourced from forests and other lands, and combusted in efficient and low emission appliances. It is fair to say that forest-based biomass use in Ireland is increasingly moving into the modern bioenergy category, as home owners, commercial premises and industrial users switch to modern appliances, and clean

air regulations drive the use of drier, more closely specified woodfuels.

More and more of this supply is being certified by the Irish Bioenergy Association’s Wood Fuel Quality Assurance scheme. Membership on the island is now approaching 50 businesses, which provide quality assured woodfuels to consumers.4 Using WFQA certified fuel makes environmental and economic sense. Heat output from woodfuels is directly related to the moisture content as Box 1 shows.

Box 1

Calculating Woodfuel Energy Content There is a simple way to estimate the heating value of all woodfuels, once the moisture content and weight are known.

these sensible, affordable and sustainable solutions to low carbon residential heating.

Say you have a delivery of 2 tonnes of softwood firewood at a moisture content of 24%. The net calorific value of the fuel is first calculated as follows:

For some who might be able to afford the switching costs, and armed with the basic numbers as shown here, it is relatively straightforward to estimate the fuel savings from converting from an open fire to a modern wood burning stove. There is also the convenience of less ash and less fuel storage space needed for a given heat output. Many also go further and convert to a biomass boiler, which when properly sized can provide not only space heating to a kitchen area but also central heating and hot water at a flow temperature of 60-70 C.

Net caloric value = 19.2 - (0.2164 x 24) = 14.0064 Giga Joules per tonne So 2 tonnes of firewood at a moisture content of 24% will have a net calorific value of about 28 GJ. Most people are more familiar with kilowatt hours (kWh) from their gas and electricity bills, and as 1 GJ is the same as 277.8 kWh, then 2 tonnes of good, dry conifer firewood will contain 28 x 277.8 or about 7,800 kWh in round numbers. The formula for hardwoods is very similar, again once the moisture content and weight are known then the calorific value can be found.5 Just substitute the moisture content into the formula. The beauty of the formulas is that they can be used for all woodfuel types, from firewood, to woodchip and pellets. All that needs to be known is the moisture content and the weight to estimate what is called the net calorific value. This is because the chemical composition of wood, and hence what is called the gross caloric value (of bone-dry wood) varies little between different types of trees.

If you are estimating the annual fuel requirement for your home or premises the formula is one the first steps, but bear in mind the efficiency of the combustion appliance must also be considered.

For example, if you burn the firewood in an open fire (not recommended) at say 30% efficiency then the useful heat from the 2 tonnes will be 7,800 x 0.3 or about 2,300 kWh - the rest of the heat goes up the chimney. In contrast, combusting in a modern woodfuel stove which can give efficiencies of over 80%, provides 7,800 x 0.80 or 6,200 kWh of heat.

Another practical example of low carbon transition is a 500 kW woodchip boiler installed recently by CHP Mechanical at a Donegal location, which has qualified for the SEAI Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH). The annual woodchip supply to the plant is around 300 tonnes. This requirement can be fulfilled by first thinnings from around 6 ha of forest. Many more installations of this kind are needed, in the hundreds, over the next decade and beyond as a practical way to decarbonise heat and make a realistic contribution to renewable heat and greenhouse gas emission targets.

The knowhow and technology are there, as is an increasing raw material supply from sustainably managed forest.

The capital costs of a new woodchip boiler system replacing kerosene can be paid back over a period of 3 years or less, depending on the oil price, which in recent years has been highly volatile, while woodchip prices have seen a relatively small increase, and at present are in or around €150/tonne, at 20% moisture content.

For those in small, poorly insulated homes it makes sense comfort wise, and health-wise, to swich from an open fire to a modern, efficient woodfuel appliance. And similar arguments apply to those tied to oil-based systems. Capital cost is a barrier in many instances, but this could be overcome by having a well-structured grant for switching to modern bioenergy, tied perhaps to a level of building fabric insulation. Unfortunately, policy does not seem to recognise

Dried and stacked firewood ready for use in home heating

A 500 kW woodchip boiler recently installed by CHP Mechanical

wfqa.org Much more on this topic and the formula for hardwoods can be found in Wood as a Fuel by Kofman and Hendrick and available at https://arrowmanagement.ie/product/wood-as-a-fuel/

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Climate RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICIES Despite the IEA’s imperatives around the need to ramp up all forms of modern bioenergy and renewables in general to attempt to reach net zero by 2050, Ireland remains a laggard not only in the bioenergy space but more importantly in the overall deployment of renewables.

The latest Energy in Ireland data from the SEAI shows that Ireland has failed to meet its overall renewable energy target under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive, where the target was for at least 16% of gross final energy consumption to come from renewable sources in 2020. The actual level in 2020 was 13.5%. Heat and transport, areas where biofuels can make a significant impact were well below target.

The renewable energy policy failure is not being addressed in a realistic way as far as the promotion of the undoubted contribution that solid biomass offers. Instead, the policy space is obsessed with renewable electricity, as almost the sole answer for decarbonising heating and transport. This is reflected in the new Climate Action Plan 2023, where there are nine references to bioenergy/biomass; electricity features 213 times.

The plan lacks a coherent roadmap for how to bring forward modern bioenergy across the residential, commercial and industrial heating sectors in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to security of energy supply.

It has to be acknowledged that the well-argued analysis in the SEAI’s Sustainable Bioenergy for Heat report, seems to be reflected in the recent announcement about the continuation of the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH)6 and its proposed extension to industrial heating and installations coming under the Emissions Trading Scheme.

But this announcement pays insufficient attention to the role of biomass heating in the commercial/institutional buildings, hotels and other premises, and the tenure of the climate action plan fails to reflect the SEAI report or the announcement in relation to the SSRH. A worrying feature of renewable energy policy and the electricity obsession is reliance on a grid which lacks sufficient installed gas generation capacity to cater for intermittent supply from renewables on calm and/or overcast days. Given the lack of significant power storage, no matter what level of installed renewable capacity exists, there remains the need for matching fossil capacity. This adds considerably to the level of capital investment needed to power the grid without interruption.

Failure to provide sufficient backup power has resulted in a number of emergency sticking-plaster solutions, such as the Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Act 2022, which allows for disapplication of the Planning and Development Act 2000 for the purpose of the installation of up to 450 megawatts of temporary emergency electricity generation plant, site development and works ancillary to that installation … which development is required urgently for the purpose of ensuring and protecting security of electricity supply by Winter of 2023 to 2024. How temporary the plant installation will be remains to be seen.

Other emergency generation is also being rolled out, as well as measures to encourage off-peak use.

So, as well as a climate emergency there seems to an electricity emergency, brought on by increased demand from data centres, heat pumps and electric cars and so on, against a creaking power grid, that lacks sufficient backup power.

GAS AND ELECTRICITY PRICE TRENDS Analysis by the IEA shows that the spike in the gas price in 2022 resulted in a 13% reduction in European gas demand over the past winter due to emergency policies, and consumers economising on heat.

Also a milder winter reduced space heating needs and gas consumption.

New LNG supply chains and storage also helped countries with a high gas demand coupled with exposure to Russian supplies to get by. The overall conclusion from the IEA is that the energy crisis is not over, rising global demand for LNG and a harsher 2024 winter could tip the balance and threaten gas and electricity supplies.

The hike in gas prices and the way that the wholesale electricity market works, has seen Irish households and businesses facing unsustainable electricity and gas prices over the past year. Recent months have seen gas prices fall back from the spike of over 30 c/kWh on the Dutch TTF wholesale market to levels of around 4.5 c/kWh currently.

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6

Image courtesy of Pexels – Joan Jose While this is a welcome development for customers (the Irish supply is mainly through UK supply chains where wholesale prices are around about the same as the TTF price), it is well to remember that prices on the TTF ranged from 1-2.5 c/kWh for most of the period from the middle of 2010 until early 2021, and never exceeded 3 c/kWh until mid-2021.

As far as electricity prices are concerned, the most recent CSO data show that wholesale electricity prices for manufacturing were three times what they were back in 2015, and more tellingly have risen 2.3 times faster over that period than other fuels (Table 1). These price levels have generated windfall profits for wholesale electricity suppliers which Ireland and other EU Member States are attempting to claw back in one form or another.

Table 1. Wholesale price indices (excluding VAT) for energy products (fuels purchased by manufacturing industry).

https://www.seai.ie/news-and-media/ssrh-and-exeed-relaunch/

Climate CONCLUSIONS Ireland is now into entering into the third year of a 5-year carbon budget set out by the Climate Change Advisory Council, and subsequently accepted by the Oireachtas. The total budget ceiling over the 5-year period 2021-2025 is set at 295 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. It is framed in the context of achieving the government’s legally-binding target under the Climate Act of a 51% reduction on 2018 emission levels by 2030. Sectoral targets were announced in 2022.

In its 2022 Annual Review (which reports on the 2021 amounts under carbon budget) the council states that overall emissions in 2021 were 69.3 million tonnes in carbon dioxide eq. - a reduction of 1.3% on emissions in the base year 2018. When translated to the budget amounts, this accounts for 23.5% of the allotted 5-year carbon budget of 295 million tonnes, leaving 226 million tonnes for the remaining four years of the budget. Current indications are that greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 will be at or above the 2021 level. If this pattern continues then the remainder of the 5-year budget could be exhausted early in 2025. This will entail more demanding reductions in the 2026-2030 budget, and makes the 51% reduction target ever more challenging. As we stand today after just over two years of the budget

the reduction looks closer to 0%.

Also, staying within budget to achieve the 51% reduction is likely to be made more difficult once the land use, land-use change and forestry sector is factored-in, signalled to happen this year.

An emergency normally entails a rapid mobilising of sustainable and effective mitigation measures. The climate emergency is different - it needs carefully thought-out, settled policies based on effective measures, across many decades.

Solid biomass fits well to the need for sustained effort. It has a demonstrated capacity to deliver a doubling of sustainable low carbon heat, with potential annual greenhouse gas savings, based on steady and incremental deployment, reaching close to 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum by the middle of the next decade.

The impression from policy is that renewable electricity will provide for almost all of our future energy needs. It is probably the main policy instrument, but it is not fully assured, in terms of security of supply, price, or greenhouse gas savings achieved against target. These issues need to be addressed, and a wider energy mix, including solid biomass fuels, is needed if there really is an emergency to be tackled and addressed.

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Knowledge Transfer Groups

Positive Outcomes from Forestry Knowledge Transfer Groups John Casey, Teagasc & Sarah Standish, Independent Forestry Ltd.

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Field trips are so beneficial and it’s great to see forest owners learn about Basal Area, taking top heights and calculating stems per hectare amongst many other skills- all relatable to their own crop” Sarah Standish, forester In March 2022, the re-opening of the DAFM supported Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme was announced. Knowledge transfer groups are a well-established method of sharing knowledge and best practice across a range of farming enterprises including Dairy, Beef and Sheep. The forestry KTG scheme provides a very useful opportunity for forest owners to gain additional knowledge to help them manage their forests and by empowering them to maximise the value of their holding.

Some KTGs are organised by registered foresters/ forestry companies, while others are organised under the auspices of forest owner groups.

This was the case in Cork and Kerry where the KTG was organised under the auspices of the Forest Owner’s Co-operative Society (FOCS).

A requirement of the scheme is that each KTG has a trained facilitator, often a professional forester, to lead the group members through a DAFM prescribed course of learning and topics. Sarah Standish, registered forester with Independent Forestry Ltd., was employed by FOCS as their KTG facilitator. Sarah believes that “the Forestry KTG is a fantastic way for forest owners to get together and learn from their own experiences and share with others in the group.

I feel my involvement as the facilitator is to educate and enlighten participants about the recent environmental changes that have been introduced across all licensing applications over the last two years”.

With background experience in Biodiversity, Ecology, GIS and

Forestry, Sarah encourages biodiversity and Forest Certification awareness through all her meetings. She has found that KTG participants have a keen interest in the current biodiversity crisis and want to do their part in protecting and increasing biodiversity within their own forest, mitigating against climate change while also increasing the value of their forest resource.

A really important element of the KTG is interaction with a cross section representatives from the forestry sector, including Teagasc forestry advisors, sawmills & others as the group progresses through its series of seven meetings.

Among those that the FOCS group met was Tom Shiel of Glennon Brothers – one of Ireland’s largest sawmills. Tom commented that “facilitating groups and the opportunity to share our story, our processes and our learnings can only be of benefit. The KTG works both ways- it is very much a collaborative process”.

Forest owners in the KTGs have the opportunity to learn from forestry experts and, as importantly, from each other’s experiences within a discussion group setting, covering a range of topics including timber sales, forest certification, inventory, species diversity and environmental requirements. The KTGs operate with a bottom-up approach, with the participants themselves deciding on what it is they wish to learn. FOCS found that the recent participants really engaged with their modular delivery approach, backed up by a workbook to record learnings. This “learning by doing process” proved so popular that expressions of interest for any future KTG scheme have already been received from new people.

FOCS KTG visit to Glennons sawmills in Fermoy, Co. Cork with John Casey, Teagasc forestry adviser 22

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Knowledge Transfer Groups

Sarah Standish, Facilitator discusses chainsaw health and safety issues with FOCS KTG Sarah sees participant involvement as key to any learning and that it is her role to keep conversations going by encouraging forest topics and ask group questions. Most participants like to be aware of each forest topic and where possible she changes the theme half way through the meeting to maintain interest and diversity. Similarly, Teagasc foresters encourage participants to consider how any learnings could be applied to their own forests.

Each KTG had a maximum of 20 participants and each participant needed to attend 7 meetings or outdoor events in order to complete the programme. KTG payments were broken down as follows: • Each KTG participant received €70 per meeting attended • Each KTG organiser received €6,500 per KTG organised

FOCS. The monitoring of the establishment, development and efficacy of these KTGs in terms of participation, peer- to- peer learning and knowledge transfer was essential to the development of a national certification template in 2018. FOCS agree with Tom Shiel of Glennons that “as the volume of trees from the private sector increases, private forest owners need to be certified. That being said, the cost of certification will have to reduces substantially”.

A total of 7 meetings and events were organised per KTG. The maximum payment to each participant was €490. Participants in the 2018, 2019, 2020/2021 schemes were not permitted to join a KTG in 2022. Forest owners are encouraged to check for any future notices of KTGs organised in their locality. For FOCS, satisfied participants and subsequent “word of mouth” have proved to be great promotors of the scheme.

Since the inception of the KTG Scheme four years ago, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has invested more than €1.3 million in knowledge transfer for forest owners, funding over 1,500 participants. It is widely recognised that both the private landowners’ and the State’s investment in creating new forests over the last 35 years will be fully realised through sustainable management of the forest resource.

The mobilisation of timber will create economic activity along the supply chain through activities such as harvesting, transportation, replanting and processing. The Climate Action Plan 2021 describes afforestation as the single largest land-based climate change mitigation measure available to Ireland, while the sustainable management of our exiting forests provides opportunities to increase carbon stores. The shared goal of Forestry Knowledge Transfer Groups is to empower owners, encouraging their active engagement with a valuable forest resource.

The Forestry KTGs Scheme can also be viewed as a vehicle for promoting group certification amongst private forest owners. In 2016, a DAFM- funded pilot project tested the feasibility of group certification with two forest owner groups, one of which was the Munster- focussed

The Climate Action Plan 2021 describes afforestation as the single largest land-based climate change mitigation measure available to Ireland, while the sustainable management of our exiting forests provides opportunities to increase carbon stores. The mobilisation of timber will create economic activity along the supply chain through activities such as harvesting, transportation, replanting and processing. The shared goal of Forestry Knowledge Transfer Groups is to empower owners, encouraging their active engagement with a valuable forest resource.

Teagasc has found that KTGs have worked well in the wider agricultural sectors, and many farm forestry owners are involved in beef, sheep, dairy, tillage, poultry and equine KTGs. While part of private forestry is outside mainstream agriculture, greater engagement of owners in active management of their forests would be of benefit to all. With their involvement in one or more KTG meetings, Teagasc forestry advisers can support the facilitator in closing the information gap that prevents forest owners from becoming active forest managers.

This is achieved by providing a means of learning that is more suited to the target audience i.e. forest owners’ needs are taken into account when it comes to deciding on what topics are covered. Participants then learn from the experts and, equally as important, from each others’ experiences within a discussion group setting.

The Teagasc View

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Plant Sales

McHale Plant Sales Extends Presence In Forestry Sector New distributorship heightens involvement in areas of ecological interest.

Prinoth M450E Heavy duty Mulcher fitted to a Komatsu PC138 excavator, alongside a Prinoth All-Terrain Vehicle

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ith their appointment to represent Prinoth in the Irish market, McHale Plant Sales has secured a line of products that complement other products in their portfolio, Komatsu excavators and forestry equipment being examples, whilst catering for the needs of forestry managers, contractors and landscape protectors generally.

One such item (and there are others) is the Prinoth M450E -1100 hydraulic mulcher for universal use with excavators of 12 to 18 metric tons in the 60-120 HP power class.

With a working width of 1100mm, an overall width of 1382mm, height of 868mm, weight of 690kg, and a volume flow of 100-200 l/ min, the Prinoth M450E -1100 hydraulic mulcher is the fit-for-purpose

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tool when it come to stump grinding, forest and land clearance, right-of-way maintenance, forest fire breaks maintenance, and a host of special applications of which embankment, landscape and habitat maintenance, re-naturalisation and composting are but a few.

Adding to McHale Plant Sales burgeoning presence in forestry, agricultural and environmental sectors generally, their appointment as Prinoth distributors is one that their chairman, Michael McHale says “adds depth to our operations at a time when the establishment and maintenance of forests, the protection of landscape, waste recovery and ecological issue generally have become matters of policy and public concern”’

Our Wheeled Harvesters

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sales@mchaleplant.com

25 Forestry&Energy www.mchaleplantsales.com

Brophy Timber Services

Specialists In Timber Harvesting And Extraction Brophy Timber Services Ltd is a company which specialises in timber harvesting and extraction. It has been operating out of Mountrath, Co Laois since 2008. In this time both the company and the industry it operates in have changed enormously.

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lthough Brophy Timber Services Ltd is still a relatively young company it has experience in the forest industry going back more than three decades.

Currently employing 15 full-time staff, the company has become renowned for providing its clients – which include the likes of Coillte, ECC Timber Products, Coolrain Sawmills alongside a large number of private clients – with a service that is second to none.

A key component of this service is Brophy Timber Services Ltd.’s (BTS) newly updated machinery fleet. As it stands, this updated fleet includes a 2022 Ponsse Scorpion King, 2022 Ponsse Scorpion, 2022 Ponsse Elk forwarder and also a 2022 Ponsse Wisent in its fleet. These newer models provide BTS with the opportunity to improve efficiency across both the felling and extracting of timber but also doing so in a more environmentally friendly way. In relation to this very important growth area Damien Brophy (Managing Director) of BTS are “looking to maybe purchase a different type of harvester for steep groundwork.

This type of machine will allow the felling and extraction of highquality timber on steep slopes minimising the need for tracks to be dug which can be both time consuming and required increased spend on fuel. We’re waiting on contract clarification before we actually make a purchase.”

Top of the line machinery is one of the many reasons why the company clients continue to choose it first ahead of other competitors out there. Another key component in BTS success story so far in Damien’s opinion is “We are probably one of the only companies that can offer a start to finish service in forestry. We obviously do the felling and extraction but we also do the haulage. This has been beneficial to both BTS and our clients. We come in and we look at the timber and we give a very good price because we’re backed up by good companies as well that are buying the products off of us”. This end-to-end service

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process gives a level of certainty that is very appealing to both large scale clients and also the smaller private client.

“Business is busy right now,” he stated. “Like all other industries rising costs/supply issues during the pandemic caused some headaches but we’ve developed good relationships with our numerous suppliers and they worked with us to overcome issues as they arose. Thankfully we are in a position now to make the most of the numerous opportunities that are becoming available now”.

“All things are moving. The pandemic although a difficult period also highlighted to large companies like hotels and also the general public how susceptible we are to outside events when it comes to power and fuel. This has also opened up opportunities in relation to be supplying woodchip on a larger scale as it is renewable and can be locally sourced.

The wood fuel is very busy because obviously it’s probably better value than any coal, oil or gas at this point in time.

“That side of things is very busy on top of our harvesting. We do have fewer machines than we used to have simply because it’s very difficult to get good quality drivers for the extra machines. Training in the forestry industry is an industry wide issue right now not just a BTS issue as there’s nobody taking the bull by the horns to train any drivers at the moment.

“Companies including BTS are reluctant to train new/young drivers without the proper supports/funding in place as it can place a lot of stress on a company’s resources like time and money which after just coming out from the Covid-19 pandemic is very hard to justify.”

“The sector is aging and we’ve dropped the ball really over the last 10 or 15 years, I would say, they haven’t been training or enticing any young blood. It wouldn’t take a lot but 20 more operators in the country would make a huge difference to our industry, but they’re not there at the moment.”

WOODLAND

2023

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Brophy Timber Services

The Covid-19 pandemic, and the government lockdowns impacted Brophy Timber Services Ltd like all business nationwide but Damien also knows that BTS found itself in a fortunate position compared to many other businesses in the country during the pandemic.

“Initially, there was a bit of an impact alright but, to be fair, we have been very lucky,” he stated.

“We were deemed an essential industry and we were lucky to be hugely busy during it. We did put additional processes in place to minimise personal contact between staff to cut down on risks as we didn’t want to be linked/responsible for the virus spreading through our staff and potentially to their families. The pandemic also coincided with/compounded another issue felt across the entire forestry industry “felling licenses etc, which was a huge issue”.

“I won’t say it’s resolved now, but thankfully steps have been taken to speed up the process considerably and now meetings are taking place in person which previously had to stop due to the pandemic”.

More recent times have seen the company expanding its mechanical services on a local scale.

Damien himself is a fitter by trade, starting out in the Galmoy Mines in Co Kilkenny back some 24 years ago.

“We are probably one of the only companies that can offer a start to finish service in forestry” After spending nine years as a fitter at Galmoy Damien made the decision to set-up Brophy Timber Services Ltd. “I started up my business after that and we would’ve always had a mechanical background. We sort of expanded that in the last year or so into doing more work for other companies on a small scale,” said the MD. “We’re trying to keep it more local in that we want to minimise travel as much as we can and there are opportunities for that type of work. We have one third year apprentice fitter and we also have two fully qualified fitters based at our big workshop near our forestry base in Mountrath as well.

“We are fortunate to be able to carry out building and repair jobs on any machines if needed.”

When it comes to private work, BTS tends to stay local by operating around Laois, Offaly and Westmeath while further west it carries out work for ECC Sawmills.

Damien also filled us in on the details of two new long-term contracts recently signed with Coillte. One, an eight-year contract which commenced at the start of 2022 and the second a just signed 5-year contract in relation to specialist sites.

“We’ve acquired a new long-term contract with Coillte for eight years for east Clare and southeast Galway area, commencing 2022.

We’ve also just acquired a new long-term contract with Coillte for five year involving specialist sites. So that, the local private stuff and work with Coolrain Sawmills and ECC would be the bulk of our work at the moment.”

As to how BTS has managed to adapt and grow over its lifespan so 28

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far Damien believes much of it comes down to the range of services on offer but, overall, he feels the integrity of the business is what counts most.

“We deal with very good outlets on other sides of it. We’re dealing with good companies; we’re giving good prices and we like to stay in our local area.

“We’ve very good integrity in our business. We have built a good name over the years and a reputation that can be trusted. This takes time and continually working to the highest standards. That is something that is hugely important to us and we don’t sacrifice that for any reason.”

Looking towards the months ahead for Brophy Timber Services Ltd, Damien sees consolidation as the primary target for both the business and the industry as a whole.

“I suppose the hopes are really to consolidate because there’s tough times ahead, I think for all businesses,” Damien stated.

“So, it’s more or less to consolidate. We would like to be able to come together with fellow businesses in the industry and try developing a training programme that would entice younger people to want to work in the industry but also train them into being good quality operators to help future proof the industry as a whole. A rising tide lifts all boats if you will.

“As for BTS itself we’ve lots of different openings for the right people, but we just feel over the last 10 years that it’s very hard to get those type of people. So, we’ve started to go into the schools now and see can we start training some of those that are interested in this type of industry.”

As well as this, Brophy Timber Services Ltd’s Managing Director sees an opportunity to continuing expanding the mechanical side of the business and also in biomass given the current escalating fuel prices.

“In our forestry sector, we’re probably going a little bit more into the biomass and we have been dabbling in it all along and we’re getting a little bit busier in it now again.

“We would like to come together with fellow businesses in the industry to develop training programme to entice young people to work in the industry” “We feel that the war in Ukraine should bring to the forefront the potential for biomass in this country, as opposed the coal, oil and gas.

“So, we feel that the war has shown how vulnerable Ireland is in relation to the importation of fuel and to mitigate potential future risks the government should be looking at developing the domestic market in relation to biomass. It’s a renewable source of fuel and can be locally sourced so it offers lots of upside benefits across the board.

We’re looking at developing more markets on that front as well and, I suppose, localised markets with hotels, swimming pools etc.

“They’re the more exciting things that we’re aiming for,” he concluded.

BROPHY TIMBER SERVICES

Forestry Services Site Clearance (excavators 5T – 24T, tractor & dump trailer) Standing Timber Purchasing and Marketing of both broad leaves and softwoods General Haulage and Timber Haulage Weekly Reports & Machine Printouts available on request Public Liability Insurance

Mechanical Engineering Services Engineering services in our in-house facilities Stockists of Alfagomma Hydraulic hoses and fittings

Contact Office: +353(0) 870640161

Harvesting & Extraction: +353(0) 872236454 Email: bts@live.ie

Website: www.brophytimberservices.ie

Forestry&Energy

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For Sales & Service please contact John Deere Forestry Ltd. Ballyknocken, Glenealy, Co. Wicklow. Ireland Tel: +353 (0)404 44969 Sales Contact: Ed Power +353 (0)87 2542570

www.johndeere.ie/forestry

Roads

Forest Roads Scheme – Unlocking Potential in Irish Forests The Forest Roads Scheme delivered under the new Forestry Programme will provide enhanced opportunities and supports to forest owners to access their forests and facilitate forest management and the mobilisation of timber.

Quality forest road infrastructure is durable, multifunctional and sustainable.

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he newly-revised scheme aims to provide for high quality, well-designed and durable forest infrastructure that is capable of accommodating a variety of forest management activities with greatly enhanced environmental performance.

The scheme will cater for the development of up to 130km of new forest roads annually. In practice, this should be sufficient to service 30,000 to 40,000ha of forest area for harvesting operations. As such, new forest roads are a key linkage in bringing increased quantities of timber into the marketplace, in line with the All-Ireland Roundwood Production Forecast 2021- 2040 which aims to achieve net realisable volume production of 7 million m3 by 2040. During 2022, 718 Forest Road Licences were issued providing for 290km of new forest roads.

Apart from timber transport, forest roads can provide additional biodiversity opportunities by increasing the amount of open space and forest edges, providing corridors for foraging and connectivity between habitats, and facilitating thinning which can open up the forest canopy.

The interface between forest edge and forest road provides many opportunities for biodiversity enhancement throughout the rotation,

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and the right interventions can multiply these. Incorporation of “soft engineering’ features such as drainage attenuation ponds and swales can help not only manage water run-off from drainage associated with roads but can become valuable biodiversity features in their own right.

The new scheme addresses increased costs that have arisen in recent years. The Grant rate of E55/Linear Metre applied to the scheme is intended to ensure that the required high construction standards can be sustained in the current marketplace. Similarly, allowances for Special Construction Works have also increased, in recognition of increased use of clear span construction water crossings in sensitive catchments, the complexity of projects in these types of settings and increased costs associated with these.

The Forthcoming Innovative Forest Technology scheme will support the use of temporary bridging and trackway systems to enable access to sites where construction of permanent road access or crossings may not be financially or technically viable. There are likely positive environmental outcomes from this approach also and the use of temporary bridging approaches may make the adoption of clear span

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Roads crossings more viable across a wider range of sites.

Roads Consent requirements introduced in 2020 in relation to new forest entrances will continue to apply to applications under the new scheme. While Consent requirements have not changed since introduction, there have been several changes to practice and processing of applications involving new Forest Entrances to adapt to these requirements. Correct interpretation of existing entrance arrangements, relative to Technical Requirements is critical, as is the correct determination of public road design speeds and consequently sightlines and Stopping distances associated with these speeds where the development of new entrances is concerned. These requirements apply to both grant aided roads with new entrances supported by the scheme, and non-grant aided cases developed under licence but without forest road scheme support.

Implementation of the scheme by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is now underpinned by increased Forest Road Engineering and ecology resources, updated IFORIS and supporting systems to manage processes efficiently.

As with all forestry schemes, correct identification of potential constraints, with correct initial design and submission of good quality maps and supporting documentation (particularly Biodiversity Maps) are essential to ensure that applications can be assessed and processed in a timely manner. Lessons learned from Forest Road applications since 2020 have also highlighted the following key areas that applicants and Professionals should ensure are fully resolved prior to submitting an application: • The relevant served area should conform to scheme requirements and be clearly shown on the forest Road map using the standard format provided.

• Forest Road Consent Checklist should be fully completed and applicants should ensure that all relevant actions have been considered and addressed in full, where required.

• All rights of way issues should be resolved for submitted forest road alignments prior to submission of applications. Relevant supporting documentation should be provided where required.

• Public Road Design speeds need to be properly assessed. For minor local roads with low traffic volumes a sufficiently detailed rationale

Correct determination of design speeds on public access roads is an essential first step in determining correct sightlines from Forest entrances.

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• • •

•

•

for design speed selection should be provided by the designers, based on observed safe vehicle operating speeds. A clear, complete, written rationale should be provided for evaluation by Roads Authority and DAFM Forest Road Engineers.

Where sightlines are concerned and where roadside obstructions are required to be removed or set back, all drawings and layouts should clearly show these revised arrangements.

Where existing entrances exist are proposed to be used and conform to the technical standard, these should be clearly documented, and relevant dimensions etc. recorded.

Biodiversity maps should be prepared with all relevant watercourses within the potential served area shown, and with all crossing points and all other relevant features clearly marked in line with requirements.

Where Relaxations from the Technical Standard are proposed, a sufficiently detailed rationale for these should be provided in support of these. There should be sufficient clarity to enable Roads Authority and DAFM Forest Road Engineering staff to assess proposals in full without recourse to further information requests.

For complex applications, particularly those in challenging terrain, applicants should consider utilising Pre-Application Discussion Facilities in advance of preparation of applications. Where Departures from the Technical Standard or Planning Permission are required for new forest entrances, these should be fully resolved with the local Authority prior to submission of applications to the Department.

Timber production from Irish forests is increasing at an unprecedented level, as increasing numbers of privately owned forests reach production age. While forest roads need to service this demand, there are climate, biodiversity and public recreation demands that must be catered for also, and where forest roads have a role to play in protecting forests and providing new opportunities for biodiversity. It is hoped that the new scheme will be able to address these areas and provide a platform for further learning and improvement during the lifespan of the next programme.

Well planned and constructed forest roads will fit into the landscape and accommodate many different forest activities, including public recreation.

Photo - DAFM

Irelands leading supplier of WFQA certified Wood Chip for SSRH boilers CONTACT US TODAY Kenny McCauley 0861631628 mccauleywoodfuels@gmail.com facebook.com/McCauleyWoodFuels

Mark Mobile: 086 2261901 Office Number Cora: 0863643858

PUNCHING WAY ABOVE ITS WEIGHT The 574F is a 14-tonner that punches way above its weight with a tractive drive force of 195knm. Power reliability and fuel efficiency are the three key ingredients that make the 574F stand out. Sharing the Volvo Penta engines with our harvesters means high fuel efficiency, which in turn increases profitability. Powerful crane options from Epsilon and Cranab are also available. Driver comfort comes with a high-visibility cabin and cushion drive damping system. Increase your profits with the Ecolog 574.

CALL LIAM BERGIN 086 607 9564

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CALL LIAM BERGIN 086 607 9564 EMAIL: LIAMBERGINGREMO@HOTMAIL.COM WWW.LBGREMO.COM

INFLATION BUSTING FUEL ECONOMY WITH THE ECOLOG 688F

The EcoLog 688 powered by a tier V Volvo Penta engine is the most cost efficient harvester in its class on the market. With fuel consumption of 13-14 Litres per hour in the toughest of clearfell, on steep terrain, the EcoLog 688F cannot be beaten on fuel consumption. In todays market with the rising cost of fuel, the EcoLog 688F will save you €15,000-20,000 per year in fuel costs when compared to other harvesters in this class.

The innovative design further leads to increased efficiency and a reduction in running costs. The ergonomic design of the cab ensures operator comfort and ease of driving.

The Log Max head is a perfect match for the EcoLog 688F, it’s simplistic and clever design results in fewer hose breakages and considerably less waste of hydraulic oil compared to competitors.

Through exceptional ground-clearance, reliability, serviceability and a powerful harvester-crane you control your destiny to high productivity and a profitable total cost of ownership. Don’t burn your profits, call Liam on 086-607954 to discuss your new EcoLog today.

CALL LIAM BERGIN 086 607 9564

Tree Calculator

Ireland’s Tree Volume and Carbon Calculator

The single tree volume model TreeModel got a major upgrade in December 2022 and is now more accessible in its new home on gov.ie.

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he upgraded calculator previously allowed forest owners and forest practitioners to quickly calculate the volume of a tree without having to cut it down or rely on time-consuming, destructive or expensive measurement methods. The new features enable users to calculate the volume for a batch of trees or for a forest plot, and to estimate the tree or plot carbon stocks.

The calculator estimates the volume of the tree using data input by the user: diameter at breast height and tree height. The sophisticated algorithm also allows users to input more detailed information such as the stump diameter or upper stem diameter to improve the accuracy.

The conifer tree information used to develop the calculator was obtained from felled trees in experimental plots in Ireland from 1971 to 2006 amounting to 38,391 volume sample trees measured. While the broadleaf tree information was collected non-destructively using a remote diameter scope from 4,197 broadleaf trees across Ireland in 2013. The accuracy of the calculator has been verified through extensive testing and comparison to traditional measurement methods and has been found to be highly reliable.

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The inclusion of estimates of the carbon stored in the tree or stand is an important addition to the calculator, which can output three forest carbon pools. These are 1) aboveground biomass – this includes stems, bark, branches, needles, leaves and twigs, 2) belowground biomass – this includes living plant tissues located below the earth’s surface in the tree roots and 3) the total of these. All three are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO2-eq).

Finally, as the calculator is web-based, it means that users will always be using the most up-to-date version and it can be accessed anywhere using a smartphone or a PC. The calculator can provide valuable information for the sustainable management and monitoring of forests and offers to be a valuable asset for researchers, students, and anyone interested in learning about the volume or carbon dynamics of trees or forests.

The calculator comes with a comprehensive user manual and sample data to get started and is available at the Tree Felling and Management section at gov.ie.

Tree Calculator

Figure 1: Main interface where user inputs tree or stand data and selects required outputs

Figure 2: Resulting output with requested estimates and stem profile

Forestry&Energy

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Inventory

Ireland’s National Forest Inventory The National Forest Inventory (NFI) was implemented to record and assess the extent and nature of Ireland’s forests, both public and private, in a timely, accurate and reproducible manner.

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eliable, current and consistent information is required to inform domestic forest policy, to support forest research and fulfil national and international reporting commitments.

The NFI involves a detailed survey of permanent forest sample plots based on a randomised systematic grid sample design. A grid density of 2km x 2km provided sufficient forest plots to achieve a national estimate of volume with a precision of ± 5%, at the 95% confidence level. This grid density equated to 17,423 points nationally, each representing approximately 400 hectares (ha). Each circular NFI sample plot measures 25.24 metres (m) in diameter, comprising 500 m², and is permanent in nature to allow future re-sampling as required.

The first NFI on Ireland’s forests was published in 2007 as the first purely statistical approach to forest inventory undertaken in Ireland to provide an assessment of growing stock in both the public and private national forest estates. Since then, there has been 3 more cycles of the NFI undertaken, the second cycle in 2012, third cycle in 2017 and most recently the fourth cycle in 2022.

This repeated measurement and experimental design using permanent sample plots allows the assessment of changes in the state of Ireland’s forests over time. The fourth cycle involved a detailed nationwide field survey of Ireland’s forests using a set of 2,020 permanent sample plots. The survey assessed the current extent, composition, condition and change in the national forest estate, in both public and private ownership. The information encompasses the traditional parameters such as area, growing stock and tree species composition in the national forest estate as well as information with regard to biodiversity, health and vitality, carbon stocks and soil type.

In terms of these attributes, the changes over time are presented in the table to the right.

The ten key findings of the fourth National Forest Inventory completed in 2022: • The national forest estate is still expanding and has now reached 11.6% of the total land area, with a wide variety of forest types present. The total forest area has increased from 697,842 hectares (ha) in 2006 to 808,848 ha in 2022. The increase in area is a result of afforestation and natural development of semi-natural forests. Between

Figure: A National Forest Inventory plot 40

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•

• •

• •

•

•

2006 and 2022 semi-natural forests are responsible for one-third (33.1%) of the new forest areas captured.

For the first time over half (411,484 ha or 50.9%) of forests are in private ownership and 397,364 ha (49.1%) in public ownership.

The share of private forests in the national forest estate has increased by over 7.9% since 2006.

Leitrim is the county with the highest percentage of forest cover (20.1%), while Cork has the largest forest area (92,471 ha).

Broadleaf tree species account for nearly one-third (30.6%) of the stocked forest area while conifer species are the dominant species present (69.4%). The share of broadleaf species nationally increased by 5.9% between 2006 and 2022.

The age-profile of forests is increasing with 39.6% of stocked forests being less than 20 years of age and 30.4% between the ages of 21 and 30 years.

The total growing stock volume of Irish forests is estimated to be over 142 million m³, an increase of over 25.5 million m³ since 2017. Gross annual volume increment between 2017 and 2022 was 10 million m³ per year, while the mean annual standing volume felled within this period was 4.1 million m3 per year.

Since 2017, 39,640 ha of forests were thinned for the first time, which is a positive for wood mobilisation. The area thinned between 2017 and 2022 has increased by 8% while the area clearfelled has decreased by 42% over the same period.

Forests play an important role in mitigating climate change by sequestering and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. The results indicate that the national forest estate is an important sink for

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Inventory carbon, at 323 million tonnes of carbon.

Irish forests are a rich resource of biodiversity providing important and abundant habitats for many species. Nearly onethird of Ireland’s forests have four or more tree species present.

Also, large quantities of deadwood are present within the forest, with 10.2 million m3 of deadwood present.

Overall, the forest estate appears healthy. While nearly twothirds (63.2%) of stocked forest areas displayed signs of forest damage present, the severity of the damage was primarily low to moderate. Damage caused by animals, competing vegetation, exposure and nutrient deficiency were the most common damage.

•

•

All NFI publications, including the main findings booklet are available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine website: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/823b8-irelands-national-forestinventory/. Further information on the NFI may be obtained from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford; or email: nfi@agriculture.gov.ie

Figure: Percentage of forest cover in each county.

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North EBnalerangyce Kerry with Nature Woodchip in

Mob: 087 253 5909

Commercial Commercial Feature Feature

Robinson Distribution Ltd

Established in Portarlington, Ireland in 2004, Robinson Distribution Ltd. has continuously expanded and developed into a market leading trailer and crane manufacturer, supplying an ever growing customer base in the transport and forestry sector across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe.

Our Customer Mission The company now boasts an ever increasing customer base across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Our goal is to support our customers in their goal of purchasing trailers and equipment that will provide a strong return on investment and augment the success of their business.

Trailers & Cranes

Background Robinson is an ambitious family owned and managed business with a long and proud history of transport, agri–products and forest machinery.

Throughout its history, Robinson’s has been an innovative company with continuous research and development being at the core of the business. Our track record of trailer and crane design and manufacture provides us with a strong competitive advantage in terms of new product development. All our trailers and cranes are designed and customised by our team of experienced engineers. Each product is manufactured to meet the specific needs of the operator which is backed up by our strict quality procedures. Our attention to detail enables us to build a product that will simply outlast others with superior strength and durability.

Our success has been built on an ethos of serving our customers with quality transport solutions, efficiency, and reliability and also by ensuring there is a complete focus on customer satisfaction at the core of everything we do.

“Our state of the art production plant is one of the most modern trailer manufacturing facilities in Ireland”

Robinson manufactures a wide range of trailers and cranes, all designed to meet the specific needs of our customers, with specifications across three main categories including; On Road Trailers: Bulk Tipper Trailers, Platform Trailers, Container Trailers Timber Trailers: Centre Axle Drawbar Trailers, Semi– Trailers, Super Structures, Turntable Trailers Cranes: The company also supplies, custom manufactures and fits cranes, including brands such as Robinson, Loglift, Kesla, Liv. Our new timber cranes are now operating out in the Irish forestry industry with very positive feedback from our customers. We manufacture two models of crane to choose from, a 9 tonne and a 12 tonne. These both come in a single and double extension model. Our cranes have the highest quality finish with investments in our own forms for castings in Scandinavia, Swedish Steel, Parker Hydraulics, Indexator Rotators and Links, Tamtron and Maxi Cap Weighting Systems and high power LED working lights. The high standard of finish extends to the main components as they are blasted, primed and painted which presents a huge advantage over competing products. Robinson also supply their own grapple with its crane. This is a Robinson 42 Grapple which has a gripping area of 0.42m2. Robinson’s also manufacture their own Robinson One Piece Timber Bunk. These are made of specialised Swedish Steel. Due to the weight and price of the Robinson Bunks, they can now compete aggressively in the market place, making them very popular with customers.

Facilities & Competencies

Contact Us Today

With ongoing investment, research and development; the company has continuously developed a modern manufacturing facility designed to manage the expectations of today’s transport sector. Our state of the art production plant is one of the most modern trailer manufacturing facilities in Ireland.

As a business we continuously innovate by applying cutting edge design aligned to the specific and changing requirements of each trailer’s function with the aim of saving fuel, maximising payloads, increasing manoeuvrability and flexibility, improving safety whilst ensuring we comply with all legal regulations Our focus is on building the highest quality trailers to the highest manufacturing standards. We achieve this through a combination of: Engineering & Design Excellence, Advanced Technology, A Wealth of Experience

For a discussion about your needs and how Robinson would be pleased to assist you, please call us today on Tel: 057 86 24832 or email scott@robinsondistribution.ie You can visit our website on www.robinsondistribution.ie

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Forestry&Energy Forestry&Energy

Saw Doctor

Crafting Your Woodworking Dreams Since 2015

They provide the tools, you create the masterpiece! Ireland’s number one go to business for sales and service when it comes to portable sawmills. Make your vision a reality and create something remarkable this spring with Logosol Portable Sawmill Solutions from Sweden.

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he Saw Doctor is the exclusive distributor of Logosol Portable Sawmill solutions and Woodworking equipment in Ireland, and they have been providing the sales and servicing for this equipment since 2015 and in their own words “We are the number one Business providing sales and servicing of portable sawmills here in Ireland, that’s what sets us apart from the rest of the competition. We don’t just sell you a product we also give you the best aftercare service, and provide the customer with the extensive knowledge to go forth and succeed with their dream/goal” When it comes to Logosol they are a world leading brand in portable sawmills and woodworking equipment within the forestry/ woodworking industry, Logosol quality is Swedish quality! “Made in Sweden” means high quality, innovation and sustainable solutions.

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Forestry&Energy

Logosol is a Swedish company that really can live up to customers’ expectations offering chain sawmills, band sawmills, planer moulders, kilns and more. With the launch of their Spring campaign and strongest campaign to date, which can be seen on either website listed below, the customer can get some fantastic saving on a selection of products till the 20th June 2023, The Saw Doctor can now offer customers four new products from Logosol; a new Easy set and Pro set system for the B1001 12kw Sawmill, a new 27hp Engine to accompany the current 23hp on the B1001 band sawmill and the blade guard for all their band sawmill range. These products are designed to make woodworking easier and more efficient for professionals in the forestry/ woodworking industry.

Saw Doctor LOGOSOL EASY SET

Logosol’s Pro Set, is a computer set works which increases the capacity and efficiency of the sawmill. The display easily controls the height of the saw blade with a press of a button.

You can program the cuts you want to make, either different thicknesses or a series of the same thickness. The Pro Set helps you calculate how many boards and planks you can produce and in which order to saw for maximum yield. Logosol’s new electrical system and automatic set works are an ideal choice for those looking for high quality and simplicity when sawing.

NEW 27HP ENGINE

Simplify height adjustment and avoid cranking by hand with Easy Set, the new motorized height adjustment. A new electrical system which enables the saw head on Logosol’s electric band sawmill B1001 to be raised and lowered with a simple push of a button.

After adjusting the saw position on the scale, fine-tuning can be done using a separate dial next to it.

The new handle positions the operator a little further from the saw rail, which facilitates accessibility when sawing. The handle is adjustable in height and can be folded away during transport. In addition, there is an ergonomically designed throttle with a safety lock that is easily adjusted with one hand. The new electrical system is encapsulated and mounted on the side of the frame of the saw carriage. The new handle offers the possibility to add the Pro Set, the new Computer Set works (currently only available to new customers).

Easy Set is currently available for new orders of B1001 with electric motor.

LOGOSOL PRO SET

The New 27 hp engine from Loncin that will accompany the B1001 band sawmill is for those who want a really powerful sawmill for large timber production. Loncin is well known for their collaboration with BMW and maintains very high quality. “When Logosol were looking for a new engine, they had a long list of requirements. “We wanted a high-quality engine with more power, higher torque, and a compact construction and with a nice design. That is why we chose the Loncin 27 hp, says Jonas Höglund, Head of product development at Logosol AB. With these new products from Logosol, The Saw Doctor is helping to ensure that their customers have access to the best woodworking equipment available on todays market.

This year The Saw Doctor will be running an open day at their premises on the 10th June from 10am to 5pm showcasing Logosol’s fantastic range of Sawmills, Planers/Moulders, Kilns and accessories, also Manpa Tools, Cannon Bar’s range of bars and Gann Moisture meters systems for Timber drying Kilns. Places are limited so please contact us to secure a place for this eagerly awaited event. The Saw Doctor will also be attending the Tullamore show on the 13th August 2023 and the national ploughing championships 19th-21nd September 2023 where once again they will put on a fine display & demonstrations of Logosol’s products.

The Saw Doctor are also main distributors of Gann Moisture meters from Germany, Cannon Bar chainsaw, firewood processor, harvester and sawmilling bars from Canada, and for the carving lovers out there, they also supply Manpa Carving tools from South Korea.

For Information on all Products and Shows/Demonstrations and Open Day Dates, Please Contact Roland Flower the Saw Doctor on Tel: +353 851395457 or e-mail Info@thesawdoctor.ie websites www.thesawdoctor.ie and www.logosol.ie

Forestry&Energy

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Komatsu

Crossover Opportunities A Path To Growth For Forestry Contractors?

We’ve all heard the old saying: ‘stick to what you know best’.

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hat said, how many of us spend our days doing what we do best without ever looking over the horizon there to see if any bolt-on opportunities exist that would absorb our efforts and make use of our skills and equipment?

For contractors active in providing forest-focused services to clients, are there crossover avenues to growth and expansion that could be pursued with little difficulty other than by capturing a share of someone else’s business?

A recent announcement from Birdhill and Rathcoole-based McHale Plant Sales trumpeting their appointment as distributors in Ireland of the Italian and German-built Prinoth range of products has given substance to the question.

Acquired partly to complement their Komatsu Forest harvester and forwarder machinery lines, McHale’s new Prinoth offering consists mainly of a range of tracked, all-terrain vehicles. Prominent also within the Prinoth portfolio is a range of sturdy, high performance forest mulchers whose applications extend well beyond stump grinding and forest maintenance to include land reclamation, land clearance, right-of-way maintenance, wildfire prevention, forest rehabilitation and landscape preservation schemes.

What made the McHale announcement especially interesting was the spread of applications Prinoth equipment is designed to handle.

Described by their sales director, Denis McGrath as “a must-see range of products as versatile as the famed Swiss army knife” – the Prinoth range is built around a six-strong dumper truck offering with payloads from 5,715kgs to 13,200 kgs.

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Forestry&Energy

When kitted-out with the appropriate job-specific attachment - and there are a few depending on use - Prinoth work vehicles are found in forestry, and crew transportation…in pipe laying, construction and environmental protection…in costal erosion, landscape preservation and hydro-excavation…and in numerous other applications well within the domain of the forestry, energy and agricultural contractor.

For a forestry contractor interested in exploring opportunities beyond the forest, it seems that equipment of that nature could give access to applications in construction, vegetation management, biomass harvesting, land clearance and the reclamation of forest sites?

One other application to which changing weather patterns could give rise – in which contractors could find themselves working in collaboration with local authorities - is in snow clearance and the maintenance of transportation links and access routes, at times and in regions subject to heavy snowfalls.

One leading Irish machinery operator early to spot opportunities that a tracked dumper could handle currently has two units in operation on a Midlands land reclamation and stabilisation project.

As Denis McGrath puts it: the days when a cobbler stuck to his last are gone. Today, it’s a poor cobbler who doesn’t sell dog leads, feeding bowls, key cutting and other knick-knacks and services. For forestry contractors, that’s what machinery has brought – avenues to new revenue-earning opportunities.”

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Forestry Dashboard

Forestry Forestry Licensing - April 23 Licensing Dashboard – Week 4, April 2023 Hectares/Kilometres for Licences Issued Afforestation

Roads

Hectares/Kilometres Planted/Roads Constructed Felling

Hectares Kilometres 2020 2021 2022 2023 2020 2021 2022 January 270 353 482 47 5 20 29 February 531 463 269 39 10 30 14 March 298 506 440 0 15 26 43 April 566 627 183 0 16 18 25 May 309 458 329 13 30 19 June 166 293 317 9 28 39 July 155 64 452 12 5 27 August 214 125 527 10 19 17 September 280 269 690 10 13 20 October 570 300 479 7 18 23 November 485 393 479 10 32 21 December 499 395 326 13 26 15 Totals 4,342 4,246 4,972 86 130 264 293

Hectares Volume m3 2020 2021 2022 2023 2021 2022 2023 1,170 3,338 3,507 2,561 831,530 928,753 691,848 1,400 1,939 3,858 3,039 531,010 853,328 888,069 1,462 1,059 4,654 3,444 298,959 785,837 887,739 1,437 1,311 4,071 3,008 303,190 661,988 814,052 1,332 2,237 4,113 564,007 646,016 694 4,108 4,219 933,153 848,877 1,003 1,382 4,221 319,961 950,873 1,904 1,302 3,959 343,035 730,507 1,183 6,516 3,788 1,585,000 811,092 2,387 3,772 3,090 1,003,661 791,141 2,335 3,608 3,861 1,017,094 951,821 1,935 2,283 2,686 722,367 734,549 14 18,241 32,855 46,027 12,051 8,452,966 9,694,783 3,281,708

2023 3 3 2 7

January February March April May* June* July August September October November December Totals*

Hectares Kilometres 2020 2021 2022 2023 2020 2021 2022 2023 136 181 69 66 17 5 6 6 273 216 267 23 6 4 5 5 262 165 290 88 5 5 6 3 212 113 135 77 8 3 4 2 350 259 304 9 6 5 284 309 208 6 7 5 165 287 227 11 4 5 137 161 217 8 9 8 226 64 162 5 7 4 67 59 144 10 5 10 162 86 136 6 7 5 161 116 115 6 9 7 2,435 2,016 2,273 255 98 70 70 17

*The figures for afforestation planted in 2023 reflect afforestation that has been paid at first grant stage this year to date only, i.e. approvals under the old programme but who are finalising planting in 2023.

Valid Licence Appeals Received YTD Afforestation 8 Forest Roads 0 Tree Felling 2 As notified to DAFM by the FAC

Other Scheme Approvals YTD Recon & Underplanting (RUS) (opted into de minimis scheme) Afforestation (opted into de minimis scheme) Roads (opted into de minimis scheme) NW Conservation

Felling Licences - current week Type Thinning Clear fell

Hectares 264.73 447.77

No. 15 50

Afforestation Felling Roads Total

Applications Received YTD 47 1,058 182 1,287

Issued V Planted 2022 and 2023 (ha) 14 264 74 0

600 400 200 0

Licences Issued YTD 4 1,022 36 1,062

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2022 Issued

2022 Planted

2023 Issued

2023 Planted

Page 2 of 2

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Forestry&Energy

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Direct Payments

Forestry and Direct Payment Matters Tom Houlihan, Teagasc Forestry Specialist

I

t’s that time of year again to focus on your Direct Payments. With the new CAP 2023-2027 in place, the Direct Payments 2023 includes a number of new schemes replacing previous schemes. For example, the new Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme replaces the previous Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) but is still paid on payment entitlements and eligible hectares on the farm. This article looks at some Direct Payment issues with regard to forestry and trees on the farm.

The online BISS application is really important in the farming calendar. Given its significance in terms of the BISS payment and that of a range of other farm schemes, it is very important to give it the timely attention it deserves. This article and should be read in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine’s (DAFM’s) Terms and Conditions for BISS and Other 2023 Area Based Schemes.

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Forestry&Energy

Forestry and BISS

The good news is that, for qualifying applicants, the opportunity to continue to avail of BISS Scheme payments in addition to the forestry premium on eligible afforested land in 2023 is one of a number of highly attractive benefits of the farm forest option. In this regard, eligible land which was afforested in any year since 2009 or which will be planted in 2023, can be eligible to draw down the BISS Scheme payment in 2023 provided it satisfies a number of conditions, including the following: • The area must have been eligible and given a right to payment under the Basic Payment Scheme.

• Farmers who wish to benefit from the BISS Payment on afforested land must be the person or persons named as the forestry scheme beneficiary or joint beneficiary. This means that you, as the BISS applicant, must be the person or persons eligible for the payment

Direct Payments of the forestry premium in the relevant year and have your name included on the forestry contract.

Note: This requirement may impinge on and must be fully considered in advance in cases where planted land is being transferred, including within families. The Department of Agriculture Food and Marine’s (DAFM) Forestry Division must be notified in advance if there is a change of ownership of a grantaided plantation during the term of the forestry contract.

Afforested land must continue to meet all requirements of the relevant DAFM scheme under which it was afforested.

DAFM will examine forestry parcels each year to ensure they meet all the requirements of the relevant scheme. The forestry premium must be paid on each claimed parcel as part of the terms and conditions, in order for BISS section to examine the plots for eligibility.

Eligible Forestry parcels that are declared on BISS applications to activate entitlements will also be subject to conditionality requirements.

•

• •

•

Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) Scheme

The CRISS Scheme (also referred to as ‘Front Loading’) is another new scheme in 2023. Its objective is to redistribute funds from larger to smaller and medium-sized farms. The CRISS Scheme is independent of payment entitlements in that it is paid per eligible hectare but requires

applicants to have at least one payment entitlement as part of scheme eligibility. Forestry parcels deemed eligible in the 2023 BISS application can also receive payment under the CRISS.

Eco Scheme and Forestry

The Eco-Scheme is a new voluntary annual scheme open for participation to active farmers. To qualify for payment, farmers are required to undertake specific Agricultural Practices on their farm.

Payment under the Eco-Scheme will be an annual payment for all eligible hectares covered by the commitments undertaken. Each farmer will have the opportunity to opt in or out on an annual basis.

Agricultural Practices chosen may also be changed on a yearly basis at the farmer’s discretion based on their capacity to qualify. Farmers will apply for the Eco-Scheme at the same time as their application for the BISS from 2023 onwards. Entitlements are not required for the Eco-Scheme. A farmer may submit their Eco-Scheme application in conjunction with their BISS application.

The Eco-Scheme has 8 Agricultural Practices (APs, see Fig. 2) to choose from. For example, AP 1 incorporates the provision of Space for Nature. Three of these practices having an enhanced option. A farmer must successfully deliver two APs (or one enhanced option under AP 1, AP 2, or AP 4) to qualify for an Eco-Scheme payment. It is important to note that the options available for selection of AP options can be affected by the proportions of forestry and/or commonage on an applicant’s holdings (see pages 18-33 of the BISS Terms and Conditions).

Figure 2: Agricultural practice option under the Eco Scheme. Source: DAFM 2023

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Forestry&Energy

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KILN Services has been designing and manufacturing timber-drying kilns from its base in Essex for over 45 years. The company provides drying and heat-treatment kilns for all sectors of the industry, including softwood and hardwood sawmills, pallet manufacturing, fence-post producers, biomass fuel producers, modified timber and research facilities in universities and training colleges.

In recent years, the market for kilns to dry biomass fuel has increased considerably. This has been driven by consumer awareness of product moisture and government initiatives to improve air quality, such as the Woodsure Ready to Burn accreditation scheme.

Direct Payments GAEC 8 and Eco Scheme Space for Nature

Conditionality sets baseline requirements for farmers in receipt of CAP payments and includes nine standards set out for Good Agriculture and Environmental Condition (GAEC). For example, one of the requirements under GAEC 8 comprises a minimum share of agricultural land devoted to non-productive areas or features of 4%.

Under Agricultural Practice 1, the Eco Scheme will reward farmers who allocate 7% of their land to features listed as Space for Nature. This will count as one Eco-Scheme practice and is the standard option. Farmers can also choose to devote at least 10% of their land to Space for Nature (non-productive areas and landscape features (where deemed available) and can thereby qualify for their full Eco-Scheme Payment.

All forestry lands are exempt from GAEC 8 estimates. Within the parameters of GAEC 8 and Eco-Scheme Space for Nature, the following definitions apply: • Forestry comprises areas planted for commercial or other purpose (including currently or previously grant-aided forests) • Woodland is a naturally occurring area of land on which many trees grow over time and has not previously been grant aided.

Space for nature percentage and payment •

Page 19 of the BISS Terms and Conditions also outlines the features and weighting qualifying under Space for Nature.

On forestry parcels, non-productive features can count towards the Eco-Scheme Space for Nature percentage estimate. Features such as suitable hedges, drains and sub-features (e.g. scrub,) that are present on forestry parcels may be mapped and counted towards this percentage estimate. The forestry crop itself (productive area) does not count towards the Space for Nature percentage.

While suitable non-productive features on ineligible forestry can be included in the Space for Nature percentage estimate, Eco Scheme payment can only be made on eligible hectares.

•

•

Completing BISS application

When filling your BISS application, the status of your forestry parcels must be accurately reflected in terms of the Parcel Use declared. Table 1 provides a summary of BISS application parcel use inputs that will vary

according to the timing and nature of forest establishment.

Under the Terms and Conditions of the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) 2023 (Revised 2nd March, 2023), land declared as Agroforestry can qualify for OFS payment, at the drystock rate subjective to meeting eligibility criteria. OFS applicants with land planted under agroforestry prior to 2023 should have a pre-printed parcel use of “Forestry Eligible”.

For agroforestry being planted in 2023 under the Forestry Programme 2023-2027, the parcel use should be “Forestry 2023”. In addition, OFS applicants should confirm the agroforestry status of all eligible agroforestry parcels by including the parcel number, planting year, eligible and claimed areas and confirming the parcel is agroforestry, is used for agriculture and meets all requirements under the OFS, as appropriate, within the Notes section in the Review and Submit screen.

Ensure correct areas for all eligible parcels on BISS

It is essential to check the statement of land and maps and ensure the correct eligible hectare areas and claimed areas are entered in the BISS application for all eligible forestry parcels. For example, if the claimed area is pre-printed as 0 for any eligible forestry parcel, this will need to be changed to the appropraite area to ensure eligibility for that forestry parcel.

When premium payments conclude

Once the period of premia payments under your Afforestation measure has concluded, there is further good new in that these parcels can remain eligible for BISS, subject to maintaining your mandatory commitment to that particular Afforestation measure by complying with the provisions set out in the Forestry Act 2014. This includes Agroforestry.

Conclusion

With a range of new schemes included in the BISS application, it is important to give it timely attention to ensure the application accurately reflects the position of all parcels on an applicant’s holding. Further information and support is available through your local Teagasc forestry advisor. A more detailed support document covering forestry issues is available on the forestry section of the Teagasc Website (www.teagasc.ie/forestry > Grants > Interaction of forestry with other farm schemes).

Timing of Forest Establishment

Input on BISS Form (Parcel Use)

Parcels planted before 2009 (Ineligible)

“Forestry” (Claimed area as zero) 1) If pre-printed as “Forestry Eligible” on online form, LEAVE AS IS. 2) Otherwise enter “Forestry 2022” (irrespective of the planting year since 2009) ensuring the correct and appropriate CLAIMED AREA is included.

Eligible parcels (including granted-aided agroforestry) planted between 2009 and 2022 (inclusive)

For 2) above, also input SUPPORTING INFORMATION regarding the forestry parcel in the “Notes” section of the “REVIEW and SUBMIT” screen, and include the following: • Forestry parcel number • Planting year • Eligible and Claimed areas • Confirm such parcels meet all BISS requirements for eligible forestry (as appropriate)*

Eligible parcels (including grant-aided agroforestry) planted or in the process of being planted in 2023 before BISS “Forestry 2023” deadline of 29th May Parcels to be planted in 2023 but not yet started at the date of BPS submission Accurate parcel use as of date of BISS form submission Applicants who plant forestry in 2023, after BISS submission are not required to amend the parcel use to Forestry.

No requirement for parcel use amendment upon subsequent planting This will be picked up by Direct Payments Section when processing the application

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Forestry&Energy

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Alder Research

Teagasc Research Update Fighting A Threat To Alder Emma Fuller and Dheeraj Rathore report on the Irish Research Council-funded ExAl project.

C

ommon alder (Alnus glutinosa) is a native tree species with remarkable ecological importance, particularly within wetlands where it has the ability to promote diversity due to its soil nutrient enrichment qualities and colonisation abilities to fix nitrogen (N). Alder trees are frequently found alongside rivers, providing stability to the banks, preventing soil erosion, as well as providing a valuable habitat and food sources to diverse wildlife.

Throughout Europe however, alder has suffered from decline due to the infection of a waterborne pathogen known as Phytophthora alni.

The infection typically causes root and collar rot, as well as severe dieback and/or death in some cases. Alder dieback remains an issue within alder stands, and it’s continuous spread potentially threatens the species across Europe. It is likely to threaten alder within Irish landscapes in the near future.

The Exploiting Alder (ExAl) microbiome project started in September 2022 with an overall aim of investigating the microbiota of alder trees and their associated rhizosphere to identify potential bio-agents that could help improve the disease tolerance against Phytophthora alni. Research shows that the beneficial microbiota can promote plant health directly as bio-stimulants, and/or indirectly as biocontrol agents against pests and pathogens.

Alder seed stand in Co.Cork which will be used in the ExAl project 58

Forestry&Energy

This research project will: 1. Study the core microbial composition of alder trees.

2. Culture the cultivable microbes that can potentially be used as bio-agents.

3. Perform antagonistic studies of these cultivable microbes against the pathogen.

In addition, the ExAl project will investigate the microbiome of susceptible versus tolerant alder genotypes, isolate culturable microbes to test for antagonistic activity against Phytophthora alni, and exploit potential bio-agents to enhance disease tolerance in susceptible alder genotypes. The research for this project is funded by the Irish Research Council’s Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme (IRC GOIPG).

This is a collaborative project with Dr Kieran Germaine, South East Technological University (SETU) Carlow and Dr Dheeraj Rathore, Teagasc. Emma Fuller is a Teagasc post-graduate student funded through IRC GOIPG. For more information, please visit: https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/ research/exal-project/

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