afforestation Archives - LSL Auctions News

Afforestation figures lowest since 2007

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has published a report confirming a drop in afforestation in recent years. The afforestation figure for 2021 amounted to just 29% of the area planted in 2007. Last year, 2,016ha of land was planted with forestry, compared to 6,947ha in 2007. Figures indicate that afforestation peaked in 2010 with 8,314ha planted, while the highest afforestation parcel size was 8.4ha in 2009. Statistician in the Environment…

IFA calls for land extension as afforestation licenses decrease

There are calls by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) for land permitted for afforestation to be extended beyond the proposed one hectare (ha), without the landowner having to apply for a license. At present a licence is required for all new proposed forests of 0.1ha or greater, according to the Forestry Act of 2014. IFA Farm Forestry chair Jason Fleming says that for farmers to re-engage with forestry as a…

Afforestation rate needs immediate attention

Climate Change Advisory Council chairperson Marie Donnelly has warned that Irish forestry is in “a serious hole”, as it continues to miss its annual 8,000ha planting target. Apparently just 12pc of new forestry licences issued by the Department of Agriculture in 2021 were for tree planting. The department issued 4,050 new forestry licenses in total last year, which was broken down into 2,877 for felling, 502 for afforestation, and the remaining…