There are a variety of reasons that an application may be reduced in area from what was originally submitted.
Applications are assessed for silvicultural suitability and to ensure they align to DAFM scheme standards. Through the assessment process my Department considers various environmental sensitivities which can require the exclusion of areas from applications to avoid negative effects on the environment. The overall area of land approved can be impacted by, for example, Blanket peats, Curlew breeding buffer areas or Freshwater pearl mussel Top 8 catchments. Further information and guidelines can be found on my Departments website at gov - Regulation, Forest Health and Resources (www.gov.ie) which details the various requirements for Afforestation.
The table below details the area submitted and area approved for the 20 licences issued week ending 23rd February, 2024
No. of licences
|
Total area submitted
|
Nett area of land approved
|
20
|
189ha
|
164ha
|