Planting Matters

On the 22 March 2002 I attended a Society of Irish Foresters Field Day in Dundrum, Co Tipperary.  The morning session was held in Dundrum Sawmill, and the afternoon session at a recently thinned young ash plantation which was being managed by Forestry Services Ltd.  A lively discussion ensued and many questions and comments were fielded.  There was a palpable sense of anticipation among the group of foresters and growers as the New Broadleaf Thinning grants were pending.  In fact we were informed by a Senior Forest Service representative on the day that the grant would be introduced no later than July 2002.  Well,  we are now just eight weeks away from July 2008, and we are still waiting despite the fact that the a draft was issued and circulated to the industry in January this year outlining the details of the scheme. In addition at the COFORD conference in March the minister formally announced the introduction of the new scheme and everybody thought that - finally this was it !
However since then a major spanner appears to have been thrown in the works, and informed sources are saying that the scheme has been parked indefinitely, and will not be launched this year.  Apparently within the Dept. of Agriculture there has been a major overspend on certain agricultural schemes including the Farm Waste Management scheme, and as a result there is no money now available to finance the Broadleaf Thinning Scheme.
It would be hard to overestimate the disillusionment that this latest development or non-development has caused, and the repercussions it will have not just for existing broadleaf plantations and their owners, but also potential new growers who were considering broadleaf afforestation.  Disillusioned or disaffected growers with 8 to 15 year old broadleaf crops especially those who planted ash or sycamore, and which are now in urgent need of thinning will hardly be recommending the planting of broadleaves to their neighbours.  New potential growers will think long and hard about converting good quality pasture or tillage land to forestry, even FEPS, if there are no thinning grants available at the time they are considering planting.
At a time when planting levels are going south with no sign of a bounce the delay in introducing this scheme will only compound the present dire situation.
It will undermine confidence in the industry which might prove very hard to retrieve.
The EU and the state have invested millions in financing broadleaf afforestation since 1993 when the first CAP Scheme was introduced.  Forest Service figures show that almost 21,000 hectares of broadleaves were planted between 1998 and 2006 and an estimated 12,000 hectares between 1993 and 1997.  Ash and sycamore planted in this earlier period would have attained average heights of 12 – 15 metres – the recommended height for the first tending is 8 metres.  This delay has potentially serious implications for the future of these plantations.  Ash especially needs to be opened up early and has limited crown recovery potential if thinning is seriously delayed.  We are in danger of producing very expensive firewood or scrub if these plantations are not thinned soon.
If delaying the introduction the broadleaf thinning grants sends out a very negative message to the industry, then equally launching the scheme now in 2008 will send out a very positive message.  The clock is ticking !