The 2025 Forestry Knowledge Transfer Group (KTG) Scheme has opened.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture with responsibility for forestry Michael Healy-Rae made the announcement on Wednesday, which sees the scheme open for a sixth year.
The aim of the Forestry KTG Scheme is to increase the level of forest management activity among forest owners.
Minister Healy-Rae said that he is pleased with the success of the “sought-after” scheme.
“This scheme follows on from successfully completed schemes in 2018, 2019, a curtailed scheme in 2020/2021 due to the COVID pandemic and a fully completed scheme in 2022 and 2023,” he said.
“Since the scheme’s inception, the Department has funded approximately 2,700 participants.”
Gain expertise
By participating in the scheme, forest owners will gain knowledge to help them gain expertise in managing their forest over its lifetime through topics such as the importance of forests for climate change mitigation and their adaptation and resilience against weather events.
According to the COFORD Council's All Ireland Roundwood Production Forecast 2021 to 2040, wood production is set to increase from 4.7m cubic metres to nearly eight million cubic metres by 2035.
The KTGs are led by a professional forester and encourage participants to engage with forestry groups and professionals.
They operate with a bottom-up approach, with the members themselves deciding on what it is they wish to learn.
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