LATEST ARTICLES
Forestry
Forest cover increased 12% between 2012 and 2021
Anne O'Donoghue
Wicklow was the county with the highest percentage cover of forests and woodlands in 2021.
20 March 2024 Forestry
Planting trees in a more diverse farming enterprise makes financial sense
The new forestry programme is very ambitious, both in terms of targets, and in balancing economic objectives with wider environmental and social objectives, writes Barry Delaney.
20 March 2024 Northern Ireland
NI forestry targets are a 'huge challenge'
Annual rates of afforestation will have to ramp up considerably if future targets are to be met
Investment paying off for Murray Timber Group
A €24m investment in new and replacement technology over the past five years paying dividends for the Ballygar sawmill.
20 March 2024 News
Ireland contributes five million native trees to EU tree initiative
The initiative aims to roughly double the forest expansion rate in the EU achieved over the period 2005-2020 with three billion additional trees planted by 2030.
20 March 2024 News
Licences up for roads while planting offers 'a chink of light'
Forestry licences issued for February are holding up for roads, but are down for felling while a late surge for afforestation, if maintained, offers some hope, writes Donal Magner.
6 March 2024 Forestry
Medium timber supply strong but will fall off a 'cliff edge' after 2035
Current annual production from the private sector stands at 3.1m m3 but a new report forecasts a reduction of €0.4bn to the economy and a loss of 3,800 jobs.
28 February 2024 Forestry
Government 'sleepwalking' forestry sector into disaster - Kerrane
Those involved in forestry are worried that afforestation rules under the new forestry programme will limit their ability to plant trees, Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane has said.
26 February 2024 News
Farmers in hen harrier areas need 'better support' - IFA
Existing supports for farmers in hen harrier areas are "wholly inadequate" and do not address fundamental issues, the IFA has said.
20 February 2024 News
Nursery planning for an uncertain future
None-so-Hardy up for the challenge to meet demand for native species, but resilience and adaptability required as afforestation continues to fall, Donal Magner writes.
14 February 2024 Forestry
Annual afforestation up to 35,000ha to achieve net zero – EPA report
EPA climate assessment calls for "unprecedented rates of afforestation" but omits how this can be achieved, while there is no reference to the role of wood in construction and renewable energy.
7 February 2024 l2
‘Urgent intervention’ needed for hen harrier to survive
The agricultural sector has significant capacity to implement landscape scale changes that can be optimised for the hen harrier, according to the report.
2 February 2024 Climate and environment