Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
972. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if conversion of conifer crops to native woodland is permitted under the Native Woodland Conservation scheme 2023-2027 recently launched by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14210/24]
View answer973. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if applications for Native Woodland Conservation lodged with his Department under the previous forestry programme for the NWC scheme and entail the conversion of conifer forests to native woodland in areas of high ecological and water quality values, as encouraged by his Department, will be eligible under the native woodland conservation scheme 2023 – 2027 launched by his Department recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14211/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 972 and 973 together.
The aim of the Native Woodland Conservation (NWC) Scheme is to support the appropriate restoration of existing native woodlands in order to promote the protection and expansion of Ireland’s native woodland resource and associated biodiversity. All projects under the NWC Scheme must promote the appropriate native woodland type (or types) identified for the site being applied for, based on soil type, existing woodland, ground vegetation, elevation, etc., as set out in the Native Woodland Framework document, which can be found in Appendix 2 of the Forestry Standards Manual.
Projects involving the reforestation of clearfelled conifer stands with native woodland will now come under the proposed Climate Resilience Reforestation Pilot Scheme, due to be launched in quarter 2 and which will be open to private applicants.
Applications involving reforestation with native woodland and received under the old Programme and that have requested to be included in the new Programme are subject to the terms and conditions of the new Forestry Programme 23 – 27. These applicants have been written to recently advising them of their options.
Details of the NWC scheme terms and conditions are published on my Departments website which can be found here gov - Forestry Grants and Schemes (www.gov.ie)
