I am aware of and appreciate the valuable research conducted by Dr Augustenburg in relation to forestry.
Forestry Survey
A national, shared vision for the future of Ireland's trees and forests and a new Forestry Strategy are currently being developed as part of the work carried out in Project Woodland. This new Forest Strategy will underpin a new Forestry Programme for the period 2023 - 2027. An extensive public consultation process on the new strategy has commenced.
Third level institutions, such as UCD, are of course important stakeholders in this process and I would particularly like to encourage them to participate in the different stages of engagement.
My Department has developed a Felling Decision Tool to provide owners with information on estimated timber revenues at different stages in the forest cycle. This tool may be used to assist in deciding when to clearfell, by providing financial information on the implication of felling earlier or later than when the financial returns are normally at their highest.
Using the Felling Decision Tool, it is possible to assess how clearfell revenue varies according to yield class. The assumptions made for each yield class scenario presented below remained constant across the range. It was assumed that each stand was thinned three times prior to clearfell, the stand was clearfelled when it reached a tree size of 0.7 cubic metres and the timber price used was based on a five year average (i.e. 2015-2019).
|
Yield Class
|
Clearfell Age
|
Net Clearfell volume (m3/ha)
|
Net Clearfell Revenue (€/ha)
|
|
12
|
54
|
466
|
€26,305
|
|
14
|
47
|
427
|
€24,006
|
|
16
|
43
|
413
|
€23,361
|
|
18
|
39
|
394
|
€22,150
|
|
20
|
36
|
367
|
€20,673
|
|
22
|
35
|
357
|
€20,206
|
|
24
|
32
|
310
|
€17,391
|
|
26
|
31
|
312
|
€17,523
|
|
28
|
29
|
282
|
€15,893
|
|
Average Net Clear fell (€/ha)
|
|
|
€20,834
|
The Felling Decision Tool is freely available on the Department’s website for users to explore the impact of management and fell age on clearfell revenue for a range of species.
The most recent cost-benefit analysis is contained in the policy document ‘Forests, products and people, Irelands forest policy – a renewed vision (2014) and can be accessed at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/d3bc0-forests-products-and-people-irelands-forest-policy-a-renewed-vision/ (also attached). Section 2.5.4 of the cost benefit analysis provides details regarding forestry and water quality.
It is expected that a Cost Benefit Analysis will be carried out for a range of measures in the context of the development of the next Forestry Programme.
