Section IV Sub-Sectoral Elements

CHAPTER

Environment

Current Features

4.3.1 The world's forests play an essential role in life and economic development, in the protection of ecosystems, soils, freshwater, biodiversity and genetic material, and in climate balance. Their sustainable protection, management and development has become an international issue.

4.3.2 Ireland has only a small area remaining of indigenous forest, of which about 5,200 hectares is protected in national parks and nature reserves. The forestry programme relies to a great extent on the afforestation of previously unplanted areas, which causes changes in local environments, and on the afforestation of non-native conifers such as Sitka spruce. Since 1989, the compatibility of forestry development with the protection of the environment is a basic condition of grant aid.

4.3.3 Since 1990 large scale afforestation has been subject to Planning Permission and to the requirement to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. The current threshold is 200 hectares for initial afforestation and 10 hectares for the replacement of broadleaf high forest with conifers.

4.3.4 Competent authorities (eg the Office of Public Works (OPW), Local Authorities, Regional Fisheries Boards) are consulted by the Department in relation to applications for forestry development in listed areas of environmental sensitivity (NHA's, archaeological sites, sensitive fisheries areas, high scenic amenity areas). Conditions designed to address specific environmental concerns particular to any given site may be attached in any instance to an offer of grant assistance. Particular checks are also made by the Department where instances of specific environmental concern are brought to its notice by members of the public or others.

4.3.5 It is a condition of grant assistance for afforestation that projects comply with Departmental Guidelines on Forestry and Fisheries, Forestry and Archaeology and Forestry and the Landscape. These were prepared in consultation with competent authorities in each of the areas in question and were published in 1992 and 1993 with the objective of ensuring greater compatibility between forestry development and the environment.

4.3.6 Sites (currently 75) listed for the purposes of the EU Directives on the Protection of Wild Birds (No. 79/409) and on the Protection of Natural Habitats (No. 92/43) are ineligible for grant aid for afforestation.

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Since 1992, grant-aid has not been available for afforestation within 30 metres of a dwelling or within 10 metres of a public road.

The predominance of Sitka spruce in afforestation (see Chapter 2) has been criticised on the grounds of visual impact and lack of biodiversity.

There is a continuing but inconclusive debate about the role of coniferous forests in the acidification of watercourses. The most recent contribution to this debate has been a study, supported by the Department, undertaken by a team drawn from UCD, TCD and UCC and publication of the final report is awaited.

With a small number of stated exceptions, the felling of trees outside urban areas (including thinning and harvesting) is controlled under the Forestry Act, 1946. Licences may be refused on silvicultural grounds but local authorities are informed of proposals for felling and may use the provisions of the Planning Acts in relation to the making of Tree Preservation Orders.

In general there is open access to public forests (see Chapter 6).

Through their storage of carbon as part of the process of photosynthesis, forests make a contribution to the mitigation of climate change. It is estimated by the Department that the forest estate absorbed about 1.6 million tonnes of carbon in 1995.

International environmental attention on forestry is focusing on:

• protection of tropical forests;

• sustainable development of all forests, ie an expansion of the traditional concept of sustained yield to include all the ecological, social and economic roles of forestry such as timber production, biodiversity, rural development, amenity and recreation (multi-use forestry);

• the development of criteria and indicators of sustainable forestry;

• the relationship between trade and the environment, for example CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and trade in tropical timbers;

• certification of timber produced from sustainably managed forests.

The EU has played a strong role in a number of recent international forestry-related initiatives including:

• adoption of the Forest Principles on the IVIanagement, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests at the UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992;

• the Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe held in Helsinki in 1993, which adopted four resolutions on forest development;

• the renegotiation of the International Tropical Timber Agreement in January, 1994;

• the proceedings of the Inter-governmental Panel on Forests, established at the CSD (UN Commission on Sustainable Development) meeting in April, 1995.

Imports of tropical timber by Ireland (ie logs, sawnwood, veneer and plywood) amounted to 70,000 tonnes in 1994, mainly from Ghana and the Ivory Coast, and had a total value of £37 million.

Sub-Sectoral Elements

4.3.16 Environmental controls are already in place for forestry related industries under the Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licensing system operated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the planning system and the EIA process.

Policy Considerations

4.3.17 Afforestation can give rise to environmental problems. Forests are highly visible in the countryside and are such an obvious change of land use that they frequently attract public attention and in some instances provoke a degree of public reaction. This reaction may be rooted in a simple dislike of any changes in a familiar landscape or may in some instances be founded on a fear of isolation of homes and farms. It may be based on concern as to the possible effects of forestry on wildlife, watercourses, local cultural, historical or archaeological areas. There is also an understandable desire to ensure that forests are accessible to local people for recreation and leisure.

4.3.18 Public confidence in, and support for, forestry development is particularly important where a programme contemplates sustained and significant levels of afforestation over a number of decades. An additional means of addressing the question of public confidence would be to increase the degree of public involvement in forestry planning and practice.

4.3.19 In forestry development the focus is on individual applications rather than on overall planning or impact. The development of a strategic approach to land use generally is part of Government policy and is currently being pursued by the Department of the Environment.

4.3.20 The effective protection, within the context of grant-aided afforestation, of environmentally sensitive areas, relies on the timely provision to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry by the relevant authorities of authoritative, up-to-date and specific information and supporting material such as maps etc. Sensitive fisheries and archaeological sites are example of areas where such information is still underdeveloped (see Chapter 13).

4.3.21 The maturing of the forest estate will give rise to a higher than ever level of felling and timber extraction in the coming years. The impact of these operations will be quite noticeable, with effects on landscape, wildlife habitats, soils, water and roads. The limitations of the existing forestry legislation in relation to environmental issues, its cumbersome procedures and the lack of comprehensive guidelines covering felling and extraction are potential obstacles to effective management and control in this area (see Chapter 17).

4.3.22 There is a need to address concerns as to the proximity of afforestation to dwellings, other buildings and roads.

4.3.23 The management of old woodlands is a sensitive issue where forestry development may conflict with wildlife, conservation and amenity interests.

4.3.24 Current and evolving EU environmental policies and requirements are an important influence on Irish forestry development.

4.3.25 The use of herbicides in forestry can have implications for the environment.

Environmental controls on forestry development must be effective and compliance must be enforced. If they are to act as a deterrent, sanctions must be applied to breaches of the general or specific environmental protection conditions attaching to grant assistance for any forestry project. There must furthermore be provision for review and revision of Departmental guidelines and requirements as regards environmental protection in the context of grant-assisted afforestation.

Ireland has committed itself internationally to develop a sustainable forestry policy and national criteria and indicators by which it can be measured. This is also relevant in the context of international developments in relation to certification of timber and the possible advantages for Irish timber in international trade.

Policy Statement

Policy in relation to forestry and the environment will be:

To ensure that forestry development is compatible with the protection of the environment.

Specific Actions

Following consultation with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the Minister for the Environment has reduced the threshold for planning permission/EIA for initial afforestation from the current 200 hectares to 70 hectares, and has introduced a new provision for incremental or add-on forestry at a threshold of 70 ha of aggregate afforestation within a three year period by a single owner. These changes come into effect on 1st October, 1996 and will be reviewed after three years. Procedures are also being put in place for notification to local authorities of afforestation proposals greater than 25 hectares and for the designation by local authorities of areas of particular environmental sensitivity.

The minimum distance between grant-assisted afforestation and dwellings, buildings and roads will be amended as follows:

• dwellings/buildings: 60 metres in place of the current 30 metres except with the agreement of the owner, where the current 30 metres will continue to apply;

• public roads: 20 metres for conifers, with retention of the current 10 metres for broadleaves, with provision, where appropriate, for variation for landscape purposes.

Increased emphasis will be placed on landscape design.

Environmental protection measures will be better integrated with forestry planning through the completion by the Department of the Marine of fisheries maps and the designation of sensitive river catchments, the establishment on a statutory basis of NHAs, and regular review by the relevant competent authorities of all maps and lists of sensitive areas. Existing procedures for information exchange and consultation will also be regularly reviewed.

Section IV Sub-Sectoral Elements

4.3.31 New guidelines will be introduced by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, in consultation with the competent authorities, covering:

• wildlife and habitat diversity in forests;

• harvesting and clearfelling;

• amenity and recreation;

• use of chemicals and herbicides.

Further guidelines may be introduced as required.

4.3.32 Standard environmental conditions which the Department applies to grant-assisted afforestation will be reviewed every five years in consultation with the relevant authorities.

4.3.33 Environmental data will be incorporated into the Forest Inventory and Planning System (FIPS) to be established by the Department (see Chapter 13).

4.3.34 Forestry legislation will be reviewed to reflect the principle of sustainable forestry development and to update felling licence procedures (see Chapter 17).

4.3.35 A public information process will be established by county, group of counties or region:

• to provide information annually on afforestation approvals, actual afforestation undertaken and felling licences issued;

• to discuss and review periodically local forestry development at regional meetings;

• to facilitate local suggestions as to any necessary adaptations to forestry policy or practice.

This process will include local authorities, contractors, farming organisations and An Taisce, for example.

4.3.36 A National Sustainable Forestry Plan, to meet international commitments, will be formulated, which will reflect this Strategic Plan.