FUTURE
: PLANTING TREES FOR LIFE!
Centuries of clearance and exploitation of our natural woodland
cover left Ireland with just about 1% of its total land area under
forests by the early twentieth century. Since then, new planting
(afforestation) by the State and in recent years, by farmers and
others, has increased Ireland's national forest resource to approximately
9% of the country's land area. This expansion over a relatively
short period of time represents one of the highest planting rates
per head of population anywhere in the world! Although still some
way off the European Union average of 31%, the growth of Ireland's
national forest resource is continuing, with a target of 17% set
for the year 2030. In fact, forestry represents possibly the greatest
change in land use in Ireland during recent times.
But
why are we, as a nation, planting so much of our land resource
with forests, and what are the benefits to be gained?
New
forests, carefully designed and managed in tandem with rural communities,
the environment and landscape, create a wealth of benefits. Forests
provide the basis for a vibrant industry now employing well over
16,000 people, from nursery worker to furniture salesperson. In
recent years, a huge range of benefits such as recreation, biodiversity
and pollution control have become increasingly recognised. Although
harder to quantify in economic terms, these benefits are 'enjoyed'
by the wider public and are an important element of our national
forest policy. In fact, Irish forests are seen today as a 'multi-benefit'
resource offering something for everyone!
Trees
and forests produce probably the world's most environmentally-friendly
raw material - timber. Not only totally biodegradable, timber
is also sustainable, as long as new forests are planted in line
with those harvested. Timber is extremely versatile and can be
put to a massive range of uses, from hurleys to roof rafters and
all timber products in between! Thanks to new wood technologies,
timber is even beginning to replace plastic and metal in many
applications. Ireland has a distinct advantage when it comes to
growing trees for timber. Our moist mild climate means that trees
can grow here up to six times faster than trees in other parts
of Europe! As many of our existing forests mature, it is hoped
that Ireland will be 70% self-sufficient in timber products by
the year 2015. Meanwhile, exports of Irish timber, particularly
to the UK market, are growing at a steady rate.
Large
parts of Ireland are regarded as being unsuitable or barely suitable
for agricultural production. Using species capable of growing
well on poorer sites, forestry is a great way to put this so-called
marginal land to good use, producing a return on investment well
ahead of inflation. For example, there are almost 1 million hectares
of wet mineral soils in Ireland. These soils are particularly
suitable for forestry as they are of limited use for agriculture
and yet are capable of producing high yield crops of conifers,
such as spruce. Commercial hardwoods, derived from broadleaf or
deciduous trees, generally require more fertile soils than conifers
and as these soil types become more available in the future, it
is expected that a greater amount of broadleaves will be planted.
Converting
a tiny tree seed into a wood-based product, such as a roof-rafter
or a piece of furniture, is a complex process involving many different
stages. For example, Ireland's forests support around 100 separate
sawmills, several panel board plants, and a huge number of small
woodcraft workshops. Every part of the so-called wood chain -
from the tree nursery to the high-street showroom - supports significant
employment, both directly and indirectly. Also, the majority of
these jobs are located in rural areas where employment is often
scarce, thereby promoting rural development. Given projected planting
rates, the number of people employed by Ireland's forest sector
is set to increase to 27,000 by the year 2020.
With
the ongoing reform of the European Union's Common Agricultural
Policy and the reduction in subsidies for agricultural products,
many farmers are now turning to forestry as an alternative use
for part of their land. This trend is encouraged by grant aid
and premiums (annual payments) from the Forest Service and the
EU, to assist farmers in making the long-term investment in trees.
Farm forestry provides an alternative income which helps sustain
farming communities, thereby promoting rural development and enabling
people to remain on their land. In 1995, 85% of all private planting
was carried out by farmers.
