Native Woodland Establishment Scheme

feirmeoir101

Does anybody know if this scheme is still running or open to new applicants?

This is the scheme for establishing a native woodland on a greenfield site.

I've trawled the department's website and the only scheme mentioned is the native woodland conservation scheme which is for existing woodlands only. There is zero mention of the establishment scheme.

There are details of the establishment scheme on other websites but nothing since 2021. Just wondering if anybody knows anything about it? Is there a new scheme being launched this year?

timfromtang

Hi there,

Yeah thats right, the whole scheme thing is in flux, old schemes run out, and new ones not issued yet. I believe there are interim measures with good terms. I'd recommend you speak to a forester or a forestry establishment company to get the accurate details.

Our own forester reckons his phone is hopping off the hook because the interim schemes are generous and folk are keen to take advantage and plant now.

tim

p.s. I hope you've a plan for the produce from your intended forest, who are you gonna sell it to? what for? are you growing softwoods to become mdf, chipboard, paper, rafters etc, and feed the sawmill market, are you growing walnut for gun stocks, cherry for furniture? sycamore for flooring? ......

tis a sad thing to see a lad rippedbecause he did not know the potential value of his crop.

feirmeoir101

Thanks very much for the info, the plan is just to plant less than 10 acres of very poor land for no reason but to create a native woodland that can be enjoyed by the generations to come.

A scheme would help pay for the costs, but scheme or no scheme I'll plant it anyway.

timfromtang

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120111076#Comment_120111076

The more pleasure your woodland gives, and the more useful things it produces, the better its chance of survival through the generations.

Given your aims, I'd suggest that both hazel rods and hazel nuts are good, understorey fruit bushes too, bit of holly for festive decoration collecting expeditions around christmas, alpine strawberries or wild irish ones will grow in suitable places too. Consider a small stand of something that may prove useful timber wise in the future Scots Pine for example. (when I was building my house I was able to fell and use 12 trees from a stand of scots that my grandfather had planted as a young man, lovely red deal, smells gorgeous).

Best of Luck, I hope you end up with a beautiful woodland.

tim