Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, Pippa Hackett, has launched the new Native Woodland Conservation (NWC) Scheme aimed at supporting the restoration and conservation of existing native woodlands.
The scheme has been developed and implemented in partnership with Woodlands of Ireland, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Heritage Council, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and other native woodland stakeholders.
The NWC Scheme looks to provide support to woodland owners to tackle “under-management” of native woodland through appropriate restoration measures, which will be identified following an assessment of the woodland and its needs by an ecologist and a registered forester.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said that forest owners who applied for the native woodland scheme under the previous Forestry Programme 2014-2020 and who have not yet received approval, along with those with existing approvals and who have not commenced work, will receive correspondence advising them of their options in the coming week.
The grant rates under the new scheme announced by Minister Hackett today are €6,000/ha for private high forest and €3,000/ha for public forest, as well as an ecosystems services premium payment of €500/ha/year for seven years.
Conservation projects for native woodland typically involve steps such as the removal of individual or groups of non-native trees; removal of invasive exotics; and protection against deer or livestock.
Commenting on the new scheme, Minister Hackett said: “Ireland’s native woodlands are a precious resource. Our existing native woodlands support a wide variety of ecosystem functions and services.
“They protect and enhance our biodiversity, soil and water quality, while mitigating the challenges that we face through climate change.
“The NWC Scheme supports ‘close to nature’ forest management that brings benefits for nature, water quality and climate.
“It creates opportunities for implementing traditional forms of woodland management that form part of our countryside heritage, as well as for the provision of local amenities,” Minister Hackett added.
“Through the new Forestry Programme 2023-2027, the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme will support forest owners to deliver these multiple benefits,” she said.