Forest Entrances Séamus Dunne Forest Service Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Role of Forest Service Regulates forestry in Ireland, principally via – S.I.558 / 2010 (afforestation & forest road construction) – 1946 Forestry Act (thinning & felling / replanting) – S.I.125 / 2012 (aerial fertilisation) National Forest Inventory....

...Role of Forest Service Promotion of forestry via grants & supports to landowners – Afforestation grants and premiums – Forest road scheme – Neighbour Wood scheme – Woodland improvement scheme Forest Protection Forest Reproductive Material

Planting of new Forests to 2012 Hectares “Nearly all State planting” 10.6% of land area now under forest, 744,000 ha Fragmented, 47% private, 19,000 owners, 12,000 jobs

Volume of timber to be harvested annually from Irish forests Roundwood forecast to increase from 3.8 to 7 million m 3 by 2028

Irelands Processing Sector Sawmills – 5 large sawmills, Balcas (NI), Glennon Brothers, Murray Timber Group, ECC Timber Products, Grainger Sawmills. – 4 medium sawmills, Coolrain, Laois, Palfab, Woodfab. Panel Boards – 3 Panel Board producers Masonite Producing door skins SmartPly producing OSB Medite producing MDF

Forest Age Harvest TypeVolume m 3 /ha No. of Lorry Loads* /ha 201st Thinning nd Thinning rd Thinning th Thinning Clearfell Total Forest roads are incentivised to encourage first thinning First thinning is important as it redistributes the growth potential of the site towards fewer better trees increasing the value to the owner and to the industry First thinning volume is small and price per /cubic metre is small and would not normally cover the price of the forest road Why encourage (with grant aid) forest roads

Forest Entrance Consents Two statutory consent processes since introduction of planning permission in 2011, in addition to grant aid applications Reduction in forest road construction and timber mobilisation in the private estate Concerns re inconsistencies across Counties Bonds of several thousand euros acting as barrier for development of forest roads and timber mobilisation Leading to a non thin policy and bad haulage practices with no entrances Major concerns raised by forest owners and the industry

Proposal for a Single consent system Similar to Planning Process with addition of use of grant aid incentives Operated centrally by DAFM in partnership with the LA’s Built in safeguards for LA’s with respect to road safety National measures on impact of forest activity on public roads Oversight group (DAFM, DTTAS, LA’s)

Improving timber haulage practice Technical Standard Provision of data to LA’s on forest location, age and harvest forecast Timber Transport routes Forest Industry Transport Group liason Code of Practice for timber haulage Reduced vehicle tyre pressure Forest and public road research Oversight Group

Thank you Séamus Dunne Forest Service Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine