Draft Forestry Programme 2014–2020

Oldtree

Something we have all been waiting for:

Minister Hayes announces details of proposed new forestry programme 2014-2020
Ditto

Draft Forestry Programme 2014–2020

Main proposals (grant rates & premium rates) in New Forestry Programme 2014 – 2020

Environmental Report and Nature Impact Statement

The closing date for receipt of Public consultation submissions on this draft is 5.00pm on Monday 13 October 2014.

40701085

Thanks for this Oldtree.

Haven't gone through the afforestaton scheme yet in detail, but have they specified that the premia are tax free again? I'm presuming yes. Ditto for end-of-cycle income?

Premia are for 15yrs but most rotations are on 30yr minimum, so the good-looking returns would have to be viewed (i.e. halved!) in this context, no? Farmers look like taking a fair hit if they're not in by Dec, good news for non-farmers, but how many would be sittin on available land doing nothin, e.g. not leased out?
Probably it would spur land buying - so what will that do to the market?

Any other first impressions?

Oldtree

40701085 wrote: »

Any other first impressions?

that I need to re-read it a few more times!

Oldtree

There is a lot of talk of carbon sequestering, forests as land based sinks for carbon dioxide.

Opportunities

Potential of SRF/energy crops/agro-forestry to further foster carbon sequestration in agriculture and forestry

RD Priority 5:

(e) Fostering carbon conservation and sequestration in agriculture and forestry

4.4.2 Climate

While afforestation levels proposed under the new programme will have little effect on the levels of carbon sequestered in the short term, because forests grow relatively slowly as they establish themselves over the first five years or so, these forests will make a substantial contribution to climate change mitigation in the longer term.

An interesting number is presented "Sitka spruce which is the predominant species planted in Irelands will sequester 200 tonnes of carbon per hectare over its rotation." I am unsure if this includes the carbon in the roots left behind in the ground after harvesting, I don't think so. The trees themselves are temporary carbon stores, but the roots left behind are more permanent.

We are all familiar with the Carbon Tax, carbon offsetting and carbon credits.

Why has no method been set up to allow the purchase of carbon credits off forest/woodland owners here in Ireland, adding value to their crop? Much is made of carbon sequestering in this new document, but why is actual value not being added to trees here in Ireland that are busy sequestering carbon and no value added to the roots left behind after harvesting?

My guestimates:

Each tonne of carbon equals to approximately 3.67 tonnes of Co2 and the roots amount to appx 16% of the total forest tree (up to 26% in an open grown sycamore).

http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_wo059.pdf

Going by the above example, if 200 tonnes of Sitka carbon (734 tonnes of Co2) are removed at harvesting (say 40 year rotation), then 32+ tonnes of carbon are left behind permanently. That is equivalent to 117 tonnes of Co2.

Can an added value be put on a hectare of forestry in this context? Even a tax relief for carbon sequestering would be most welcome.

The average home oil burner emits 11 tonnes of Co2 per year and has a carbon tax on the oil, where does that tax go?

40701085

Oldtree wrote: »

The average home oil burner emits 11 tonnes of Co2 per year and has a carbon tax on the oil, where does that tax go?

Don't go there! :mad:

Oldtree

40701085 wrote: »

Don't go there! :mad:

Why Not?