An environmental charity has formally urged Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue to revise the current Department Circular’s stringent clauses related to the potential ‘recoupment of grant and premium monies received’ in cases of grant-aided forest underperformance against ‘forest pests and disease’.
Condition 6 of the Department Circular 07/2020 states: ‘Failure to adequately protect and maintain a grant-aided forest can result in the cessation of premium payment and may ultimately result in the recoupment of all grant and premium monies received, unless remedial work is, or other required interventions are satisfactorily carried out.’
ASH DIE BACK LESSON: CONFIDENCE OF LAND OWNERS
According to Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), the attempts by Ireland to protect the country against the spread of ash die back disease by then Minister Simon Coveney in 2012 called ‘Fortress Ireland’ failed.
“The importation of 30,000 saplings from the continent infected with ash die back was a failure of Ireland’s phyto-sanitary procedures and the absence of quarantine periods, a danger which now threatens Ireland’s Sitka spruce plantations from the spruce bark beetle.
“Landowners affected by ash die back have not only lost any future income but are currently paying up to €7000 a hectare to clear their land of diseased trees’, FIE Director Tony Lowes said. “It is estimated that 17,000 hectares of Ireland was planted with grant aided ash since 1995 as well as significant public planting. It is not coincidental that the area planted by farmers have declined year on year. The share of afforested area planted by farmers in 2014 was 97%. In 2021 it was 18%.”
SPRUCE BARK BEETLE
FIE says that climate change is leading to proliferation of the bark beetle. Infestations can lead to the decline and death of large numbers of spruce trees while weakened or dying trees are more susceptible to other stressors, including diseases and additional pests. Warmer temperatures and changing weather patterns have created more favourable conditions for beetle populations to thrive.
The beetle is a capable flyer, but long-distance spread is also known to occur through the movement of infested roundwood.
According to the environmental charity, “Ireland is importing timber from Scotland where the spruce bark beetle is well established. The current Pest Free Area (PFA) system relies on bi-annually aerial surveys by Scottish Forestry to maintain the status of the conifer bark beetle PFA in western Scotland, enabling the trade of conifer roundwood to the island of Ireland. Meanwhile, inspections of debarked timber at Irish ports is widely believed not to meet the level of threat to Ireland’s commercial forestry industry. The only answer is to restrict the import of spruce to kiln dried timber.”
ADDITIONAL REDUCTIONS NOW REQUIRED
Mr. Lowes pointed out that Ireland’s carbon accounting required 10,000 hectares new plantations each year but ‘such a rate has not been known for many years’. According to the Central Statistics Office, which has published afforestation figures for the first time, the area afforested in 2021 was 2,016 hectares which was 29% of the area planted in 2007.
“The existing significant deficit in forestry planting will unavoidably necessitate additional reductions in emissions in other agricultural sectors”, the letter to the Minister points out.
