The Native Tree Area Scheme (NTAS) with grants of over €20,000 under Ireland’s new 2023-2027 Forestry Programme was officially opened on Wednesday 4 October.

The scheme will allow farmers to plant up to a hectare of native woodland without the need for a licence.

They can alternatively plant up to 2ha if they have a suitable watercourse along which to plant a riparian small-scale native woodland.

However, the extent of the area that can be created under this scheme is limited to 2ha per farm holding for the duration of the scheme, which is 10 years.

Commitment

Opening the scheme, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett said that this scheme is something she has worked hard to introduce as part of the new forestry programme.

"It will deliver on the programme for government commitment to incentivise small-scale tree-planting to help to reengage farmers with forestry.

"Key to the success of increasing afforestation rates is to build confidence among farmers of the benefits of forestry as a viable option to complement their existing farm enterprises," she said.

The minister confirmed that, in line with the provisions of the Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry Act 2022, her Department has provided for the scheme by regulation, which was signed into law on 28 September 2023.

She also confirmed the two different options available to applicants:

  • NTAS 1 - creation of small native forests.
  • NTAS 2 - creation of native forests for water protection.

    • Grants

    Both farmers and non-farmers may avail of support under the scheme. Support will take the form of an establishment grant and annual premium payments over a 10-year period, totalling €22,060 per hectare for NTA 1 and €22,840 per hectare for NTA 2.

    The Minister added: “The scheme was finalised following the completion of a strategic environmental assessment and appropriate assessment.

    "Eligibility criteria are incorporated into the scheme to ensure that all tree planting works are undertaken in a legally compliant and sustainable manner.

    “A scheme eligibility map has been prepared, detailing the location of approximately 3.1m hectares of land that will be eligible to join the scheme. Not all agricultural land was deemed to be eligible for the NTAS due to the land not being suited to native forest establishment (such as areas at high elevation) or the presence of environmental sensitivities (such as NATURA 2000 designated areas).

    "If someone who is interested in the NTAS finds that their land isn’t eligible for tree planting without a licence, I would encourage them to talk to Teagasc or their registered forester about the options that are open to them through the Forestry Programme under the normal licensing process," she said.

    The minister concluded by saying that the scheme has been designed to have a straightforward approval process and that it is now open for new native forests to be planted before the end of 2023 under this scheme.