Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 February 2023
287. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that no second or further forestry replanting is approved to take place on peat soils, given that the resulting emissions of greenhouse gases from the disturbance to these organic soils continue to peak on successive rotations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9325/23]
View answerI assure the Deputy that my Department recognises wetlands and peat soils as an important carbon pool in the Irish landscape. Reducing emissions by water table manipulation has the potential to significantly reduce GHG emissions from these soils and is a means to positively contribute to our climate change mitigation ambitions. This is an important part of Agriculture's overall contribution to emission reductions and is set out in the All of Government Climate Action Plan as highlighted in the targets set for the Agriculture, Forestry and Land-use sector.
With regard to forestry on Peatlands, approximately 50% of Coillte’s forests are on this soil type, which is a legacy from previous policies to plant on marginal lands for afforestation. Coillte have undertaken ecological surveys across its estate, in order to identify sites with significant potential for restoration to ecologically valuable wetland peatland habitat. During 2002 – 2015 Coillte completed three major peatland restoration projects under the EU LIFE Nature Programme, which targeted the restoration of more than 3,000ha of peatland habitats that had been identified as being of the highest ecological value and restoration potential. The area restored consists of 2,000ha of blanket bog and 1,300ha of raised bog habitat on the estate. During these projects the commercial forest plantation was removed, and the forest drains were blocked in order to rewet the peat.
A number of national research projects on carbon have included some of the Coillte peatland restoration sites in their work. Early results of this research indicate that peatlands restored after removal of forestry plantations may take several decades to stabilise and become carbon sinks. Indeed, some of these sites may be a significant source of carbon in the short term as peat is exposed during deforestation. This mirrors similar research carried out in other countries such as Canada. It appears that rewetting is a long-term undertaking. Coillte continues to monitor and maintain the restored peatland sites on its estate.
In addition, Coillte is a major beneficiary in a major new LIFE – IP project called the Wild Atlantic Nature, which will be led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and was approved by the EU. The project was aimed at a range of measures to upscale the restoration of and conservation of blanket bog in the western and north-western counties. Within this project Coillte will restore a further 160ha of undesignated blanket bog and wet heath habitats in Counties Mayo and Galway.
Finally, the removal of plantation forests from peatland habitats in designated sites is considered as part of the licensing process where non replanting can take place where there are overriding environmental reasons. This process is regulated/licensed by my Department which in turn consults with NPWS regarding the licensing and management of peatlands within sites designated for nature conservation. Based on this consultation process, landowners can be directed not to replant the forest (conversion to open bog land), or to convert the plantation to native woodland, depending on site conditions.
