As mentioned in my response to the previous ParIiamentary Question, I am satisfied that Coillte is adapting its approach and practices to meet the emerging climate and biodiversity challenges, while fulfilling its remit as a commercial entity, and that this approach will deliver on the multiple benefits that their forests have to offer for people, the economy and the environment.
As already advised Coillte has a not-for-profit wing, Coillte Nature, which is focused on new native woodlands and biodiversity restoration projects at scale. One fifth of Coillte lands are currently managed with biodiversity as the primary objective, with an undertaking in the Coillte strategic vision to increase this to 50% in the long term. Current projects include the following and their delivery, along with future delivery on the commitment to increase biodiversity in the longer term, will provide the evidential basis for meeting the biodiversity challenge:
- The Dublin Mountains Makeover, involving the replacement of non-native with native woodlands;
- The Midlands Native Woodland Project which aims to plant approximately 4 million native trees across 1500 hectares of Bord na Móna land no longer used for peat production;
- The Wild Western Peatlands Project which aims to restore and rehabilitate approximately 2,100 hectares of Atlantic blanket bog and heathland currently planted with lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce forests;
- The Hazelwood Forest Project in Co Sligo, to remove invasive species and restore alluvial woodlands.
Furthermore and as stated previously under their new forestry strategic vision, Coillte aims to grow 100,000 hectares of new forests by 2050, supporting the delivery of one-third of Ireland’s afforestation target and providing a carbon sink of 18 million tonnes of CO2. Coillte are also committing to managing its existing forest estate to capture an additional 10 million tonnes of CO2 by 2050. The evidential basis for Coillte's delivery on its cllmate change commitments will be this increased afforestation and the realisation of climate mitigation measures such redesigning poorly productive peatlands, extended rotations on selected stands and better management of broadleaves.
