The Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme has reopened today (Wednesday, July 12) to continue its purpose of forest owners gaining additional knowledge in forest management.
Minister of State with responsibility for biodiversity and land use, Pippa Hackett, announced the opening of the KTG scheme 2023.
Minister Hackett said: “The forestry KTG scheme continues to be a very successful and sought-after scheme and I am very pleased to reopen the scheme once again, for a fifth year.
“The aim of the forestry KTG scheme is to increase awareness of sustainable forest management amongst forest owners and includes topics covering continuous cover forestry, agroforestry and building forest resilience.”
Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group
Minister Hackett continued: “By participating in the scheme our target group, forest owners, gains additional knowledge to help them gain expertise in managing their forest over its lifetime.
“It is vital that the state’s investment in forestry is realised through the mobilisation of this timber, and that this is done sustainably.”
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has funded approximately 2,400 participants in KTGs since the scheme’s establishment.
“Through the KTGs, knowledge gaps in relation harvesting, transportation, replanting and processing are addressed,” Minister Hackett added.
“I am pleased to note that obligations for forest owners under the water framework, birds and habitats directives and the importance of forests for climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience are also among the topics to be covered by the groups,” she said.
KTG scheme
Each KTG can have a maximum of 20 participants and each participant will need to attend seven meetings or outdoor events in order to complete the programme.
Participants who have not taken part in a forestry KTG in the previous three years, can be invited to participate in this KTG round.
Participation in other agriculture KTGs does not impact on a participant’s eligibility to take part in forestry KTGs.
Payee Reimbursement/grant payment € KTG participant Meeting attended €80/meeting KTG organiser Per KTG organised €7,400/KTG
A total of seven meetings and events will be organised per KTG – the maximum payment to each participant is €560.
Completed applications must be submitted to DAFM by 4:00p.m on August 14, 2023.