A long-term plan is now required to protect our forests

While natural disasters can occur anywhere and anytime, the level of preparedness by countries and societies plays a crucial role in mitigating their impact. – European Parliament, 2024

The objective over the coming months is to salvage windblown timber and sell it. However, long term issues such as safeguarding the forest resource need to be addressed.

Apart from storm Éowyn, forest damage is a reality, especially in recent years when storms – Darwin in 2014 and Darragh 2024 – and ash dieback in 2012, have caused significant damage to our forests and woodlands.

As a result of these experiences, Ireland should have a strategic plan in place to minimise the risk to our forests and achieve “the level of preparedness” envisaged by the EU.

“We have built an organisation with damage coordinators throughout the country and a forest damage group that will be able to handle sudden forest damage events quickly and effectively,” has been the Swedish response to storm Gudrun as outlined by Alan Sherrard in Bioenergy International.

Since the outbreak of ash dieback, forestry organisations, IFA and timber processors have called for an independent Forestry Development Agency (FDA), which would address issues such as the risk of natural disasters and confront them when they will inevitably occur.

Forest damage coordinator

An FDA would appoint a forest damage coordinator to address issues such as insurance, restructuring more resilient forests and provide ecosystem and carbon payments to compensate growers who commit to a long-term land use, such as forestry, in relation to fulfilling the replanting obligation, while helping to achieve the level of decarbonisation proposed in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan.

State-private insurance

DAFM’s forestry advisory council, COFORD, proposed in 2018 that the adoption of a State funded insurance forest scheme should be considered to cover damage that is outside the control of forest owners.

“Farmers need certainty in relation to long-term decisions,” maintained the COFORD Forest Land Availability Implementation Group (FLAIG) referring in particular to windblow.

“Greater certainty over the existence of a reconstitution scheme, should unforeseen events occur, would provide greater confidence in the future of an enterprise [such as forestry] with such long timeframes”.

Ecosystem payments

The IFA, Irish Timber Growers Association (ITGA) and the Society of Irish Foresters, have long made the case that woodland creation and sustainable forest management should have the potential to be a future source of income for growers, particularly through their carbon storage capability.

Many European countries are well underway in introducing a forest carbon code (FCC) – the UK introduced a Woodland Carbon Code in 2012 which provides carbon savings that businesses can achieve by being associated with woodland projects.

An FCC is long overdue in Ireland and should have been introduced when the previous Government committed to a 50% broadleaf programme.

This would provide incentives to farmers who establish forests with an opportunity to generate independently verified carbon units after the premium period ceases.

Conor Daly*

Ireland’s forestry premiums offer an attractive way for landowners to establish new woodlands but are constrained by their limited 15 to 20-year duration.

A recent solution to extending the environmental impact of forests while continuing to provide landowners with long-term income has come in the way of certified carbon management projects.

Along with their biodiversity and social benefits, forests are an important tool in Ireland’s commitment to reduce net emissions due to their natural ability to absorb and store C02 as outlined in Ireland’s Climate Action Plan.

Carbon projects provide a structured way to quantify and reward the ongoing environmental benefits created by forests throughout the lifespan of the trees.

Once verified, a plantation is measured and certified for the amount of carbon it can sequester, allowing landowners to generate and exchange carbon credits on the global voluntary carbon market.

The whole process is closely monitored through independent third-party audits to ensure accuracy and transparency, and once listed, organisations can purchase these carbon credits to offset their emissions.

As suppliers, landowners can gain significant long-term advantages from carbon projects. The income that projects provide is generated in addition to any Government forestry premiums and can provide a supplementary revenue stream for decades beyond the forestry premium period.

Flexibility

Carbon projects also allow landowners greater flexibility regarding forest management decisions and their re-planting obligation, including the option to delay harvest to extend the environmental impact a forest can have and the income it can generate.

Forests can be maintained and left to stand for longer, promoting healthier woodlands, absorbing more carbon, and reducing the pressure to clearfell prematurely due to financial constraints.

A wide range of land and forest types are suitable, with forests under five years old generally being eligible, ensuring maximum carbon sequestration potential over their lifetime.

Origin Xero is Ireland’s first certified carbon management enterprise. Working closely with The Forestry Company, they handle the entire process, from assessing forest suitability and potential carbon capture to connecting forest owners with companies looking to make a long-term impact on sustainability.

Their platform simplifies entry to the voluntary carbon market, allowing landowners to realise sustainable income without compromising the environmental value of their forests. All projects are vetted and certified by an official UN auditor.

Conor Daly is managing director of The Forestry Company which has partnered with carbon management enterprise, Origin Xero.