The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is set to finalise a scheme to allow landowners avail of an exemption from requiring an afforestation licence for plots under 1ha in size.
In response to a recent parliamentary question from independent Clare TD Michael McNamara, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said: “Key to the success of increasing afforestation rates is to build confidence among landowners of the benefits of forestry as a viable option to complement existing enterprises.”
The minister added that, according to the Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous provisions) Act 2022, regulations may be introduced to facilitate the small-scale planting of native tree areas without the need to first obtain an afforestation licence.
“It is my objective to increase and encourage interest in small-scale planting and I am confident that this change to the act will remove a barrier to such planting.
“This exemption facilitates the exclusion of clearly defined activities from requiring an afforestation licence in certain specific circumstances,” the minister explained.
He added: “In addition, it is an enabling proposal that allows forests to be created through other initiatives, other than the afforestation scheme, such as ACRES [Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme], thereby contributing to Ireland’s targets in relation to a wide range of environmental priorities, particularly climate change, biodiversity and water quality.”
Minister McConalogue said that the exemption for the creation of up to 1ha of native woodland will be available through the Native Tree Area Scheme, which the department has designed and which will be finalised following the completion of both a Strategic Environmental Assessment and an Appropriate Assessment, subject to the findings of both assessments.
The minister said that such an exemption would still have to “comply with environmental law”.
The scheme will also include eligibility criteria, which, the minister said, would ensure that all tree planting works are undertaken in a legally compliant and sustainable manner.
He said that the Native Tree Area Scheme, when finalised, will form part of the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027, which is subject to state aid approval from the European Commission (this approval has not yet been granted by the commission).
“My department has been engaging proactively and intensively with the commission to date, in order to secure this approval,” Minister McConalogue added.