Coillte: 134,000ha 'now prioritised' for nature management
Coillte today (Thursday, September 4) said that 134,000 hectares of land – an increase of 44,000 hectares – have been "identified to be managed primarily for biodiversity across Ireland".
According to the semi-state forestry company, which is responsible for managing 440,000 hectares of primarily forested lands, it has "increased the proportion of its estate managed primarily for nature from 20% to 30%" ahead of schedule.
It described this today as a "significant environmental milestone".
Coillte said it used its 'BioClass system', a science-based framework developed to identify and classify the ecological value of areas on the Coillte estate to prioritise the additional area earmarked for biodiversity.
The semi-state company said it is now reaffirming its long term commitment to managing greater areas of its estate "primarily for nature".
Today it also unveiled a new ‘Forests for Nature’ booklet which outlines its biodiversity strategy and sets out its future focus.
Mark Carlin, managing director of Coillte Forest said: "The importance of protecting and enhancing biodiversity is increasingly recognised, both in Ireland and globally.
"Coillte’s estate represents one of the country’s most significant biodiversity resources, encompassing a rich tapestry of habitats including coniferous, mixed and broadleaved forests, as well as open bogs, heathlands, lakes and rivers.”
Carlin said that Coillte not only wants to manage greater areas of its estate primarily for nature but it also wants to ensure "the productive areas of the estate are carefully managed for the long-term supply of sustainably grown, certified Irish wood, supporting the delivery of sustainable homes and rural jobs".
"This goal is part of our broader mission to balance the multiple benefits that forests provide – for climate, nature, wood and people", he added.
According to Coillte its strategic vision for the lands that it manages aims to "optimise its contribution to Ireland’s climate targets".
It plans to do this through a range of actions that are intended to "capture approximately 28 million tonnes of CO2 from the environment by 2050".
Not all of the Coillte estate is forested.
Peatland habitats on the estate include lowland blanket bog, raised bog, wet and dry heath, as well as peatland forests. Most of the open peatland within the Coillte estate is already mapped and protected as biodiversity areas.
However there is a section in the new biodiversity areas that also focuses on forested peatlands which have ecological value and good restoration potential".
