Now Ye're Talking - to a forest manager

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 1:03pm

august12 wrote:

Do you think there is any prospect of grant for second or subsequent plantations, is there much of a profit from one clearfell to replanting?

I don't see much scope for it as it is an owner gets a massive windfall of income and does not get taxed on it bar for PRSI and USC and the replanting costs are roughly 10 to 20% of your clearfell revenue in a coniferous forest

(assuming the plantation is managed right and not clearfelled to early)

can't really answer the second part as you have many different forest types and quality considerations to take into account

miamee · 22-08-2018 1:06pm

Thanks for answering my questions

What made you choose forestry as a career? Was it something you've always loved/wanted to do or something you kinda ended up in?

What is a typical day at work for you?

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 1:07pm

punisher5112 wrote:

How many acres would be needed to be a viable project?

anything above 10 hectares or 24.71 acres as you get an additional 7% top up on your annual premiums and you also have economies of scale working with you also

punisher5112 wrote:

Is land that holds water good or bad? Obviously not bog but just say at bottoms of hills and just fields that aren't great for anything else.

land that holds water (gleys podzols or even party soils) are ideal for forestry as the water stays in the soil during a hot summer and causes the growing season to be consistent without periods where growth is stunted

august12 · 22-08-2018 1:10pm

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA wrote:

can't really answer the second part as you have many different forest types and quality considerations to take into account

You have more or less answered it for me, I didn't realise the profit was that high from clear felling to replanting, that gives approx, 80 to 90% profit, have recently purchased 9.5ha plantation giving approx, 4500 euro grant, this was an accidental purchase as came as part of farm purchase, planted 9 years now, any idea what the potential income at clearfell would be? Don't have a forestry advisor, should I appoint one now or wait until first thinning, whenever that would be,

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 1:11pm

miamee wrote:

What made you choose forestry as a career? Was it something you've always loved/wanted to do or something you kinda ended up in?

I have forestry myself so I said I better educate myself in the area and have a love for it

your days are varied you could be out walking forests for a couple of days then in the office doing paperwork for the rest a healthy mix

marvin80 · 22-08-2018 1:13pm

Do you think there's an issue in Ireland where outside buyers are buying land and planting non-native species to offset their carbon emissions?

Should rules be brought in to restrict these opportunistic investors?

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/minister-urged-to-take-heat-out-of-forestry-issue-in-leitrim-1.2719694

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/move-into-forestry-casting-a-shadow-across-leitrim-1.2709073

_Brian · 22-08-2018 1:17pm

I’ve seen a number of forest clear fell where no forestry was replanted, the land is now left go wild.
Who’s responsible for chasing the replanting of this land.

One plot was bought by an investor, timber cleared and they took all proceeds and moved on.

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 1:22pm

marvin80 wrote:

Do you think there's an issue in Ireland where outside buyers are buying land and planting non-native species to offset their carbon emissions?

the carbon credits are used by the government to alleviate the fines that we are receiving for not meeting our climate change targets it doesn't belong to any individual or company

marvin80 wrote:

Should rules be brought in to restrict these opportunistic investors?

generally if land is bought for forestry it is marginal land and not suited to high output farming that is why it is able to be bought for forestry (as the price that is offered for forestry ground is below that of agricultural land in most parts of the country

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 1:24pm

_Brian wrote:

Iâ€™ve seen a number of forest clear fell where no forestry was replanted, the land is now left go wild. Whoâ€™s responsible for chasing the replanting of this land.

Please contact the Forest service in Johnstown Castle to report this, give them the townland and nearest village

4068ac1elhodqr · 22-08-2018 1:49pm

Is it true Ireland has the lowest broadleaf tree coverage in all of Europe?

What's you view/solution to this shocking statistic?
Have also heard that typical commercial trees (spruce) aren't as environmentally friendly (biodiversity rich) as many other trees.

Reati · 22-08-2018 1:59pm

Nayeli Unimportant Dot wrote: »

Is it true Ireland has the lowest broadleaf tree coverage in all of Europe?

What's you view/solution to this shocking statistic?

See my early question. A drive down the N11 shows you all you need to see of the level of coverage!

freshpopcorn · 22-08-2018 2:09pm

Have you ever found anything unusual or came across strange activity in the forests you manage?

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 2:30pm

freshpopcorn wrote:

Have you ever found anything unusual or came across strange activity in the forests you manage?

I once stumbled upon a young couple getting familiar with each other

I also walked out of a wood when there was a group of lads about to start shooting at pheasants which were in front of me !

Fluppen · 22-08-2018 2:31pm

I have a 98 acre farm and often wonder if it would be possible to plant a narrow strip of mixed forestry, some native, some commercial around the boundaries of the land as a buffer to the increasing noise and visual pollution caused by the building of new homes in the area. Would forestry companies be willing to establish and manage a long narrow winding strip stretching over quite a number of small fields or would it be too expensive and impractical to manage within the existing establishment, fencing and roadway grants?

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 2:33pm

Nayeli Unimportant Dot wrote:

Is it true Ireland has the lowest broadleaf tree coverage in all of Europe?

Ireland has one of the lowest level of forest land in Europe, the department have taken steps to increase the level of Broadleaf planting, I think 20 odd % of afforested land is Broadleaf in ireland and we need to bring that figure up to 30%

4068ac1elhodqr · 22-08-2018 2:34pm

Reati wrote: »

See my early question. A drive down the N11 shows you all you need to see of the level of coverage!

Question was for the Forest Man, no idea where the N11 is and unlikely to visit. But the EU reckons Ireland has the lowest forest cover in Europe (aside from small random islands like cyprus or where ever).

EU says it's 11%, average is around 30-40% wooded. And there is some suggestion commerical planting is the least environmentally diverse.

punisher5112 · 22-08-2018 2:36pm

Nayeli Unimportant Dot wrote: »

Question was for the Forest Man, no idea where the N11 is and unlikely to visit. But the EU reckons Ireland has the lowest forest cover in Europe (aside from small random islands like cyprus or where ever).

EU says it's 11%, average is around 30-40% wooded. And there is some suggestion commerical planting is the least environmentally diverse.

N11 is wicklow

BarryD2 · 22-08-2018 2:37pm

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA wrote: »

because the growth rates for comercial timber in ireland is much better than in Europe, in fact the fastest growing forests in Europe are in ireland

Can you elaborate on that? How does growth rate explain the different types of management that are apparent.

It seems that here and generally speaking, a plantation is viewed like a conventional 'farmers crop' - you plant, weed, thin and then harvest the lot when it's mature.

Whereas on the continent, plantations seem to be more likely managed as forests, with selective thinning and clear felling. It seems to be a different attitude & culture.

We have a windier country and I can appreciate the issue of wind throw if you cut out a portion of a plantation. But is this not down to the likes of forest planners and managers. In how you design and make up a scheme of planting? Surely instead of planting 50,000 spruce or whatever, you could mix things up more and have species with different growth rates and at different stages of development, with varying resistance to wind etc.

I ask because in my experience, one big reservation that the public have about commercial plantations is the devastation to the landscape left behind when a large area is just cleared.

murpho999 · 22-08-2018 2:37pm

Can you see the wood for the trees?

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 2:39pm

Nayeli Unimportant Dot wrote:

Have also heard that typical commercial trees (spruce) aren't as environmentally friendly (biodiversity rich) as many other trees.

there is certainly a very rich ecological habitat from what I have seen when walking them anyway.

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 2:44pm

Nayeli Unimportant Dot wrote:

EU says it's 11%, average is around 30-40% wooded. And there is some suggestion commerical planting is the least environmentally diverse.

that's private forestry only id say !

"The forest estate is comprised of three quarters conifers and one quarter broadleaves" Department of agriculture food and the marine forest statistics 2014

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 2:46pm

Fluppen wrote:

I have a 98 acre farm and often wonder if it would be possible to plant a narrow strip of mixed forestry, some native, some commercial around the boundaries of the land as a buffer to the increasing noise and visual pollution caused by the building of new homes in the area. Would forestry companies be willing to establish and manage a long narrow winding strip stretching over quite a number of small fields or would it be too expensive and impractical to manage within the existing establishment, fencing and roadway grants?

you would probably have to fence off the areas yourself as they would not be covered under the Grant and premium scheme, it's worth a look, please note that the minimum width of a forest plot is 20 meters from tree to tree

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 3:05pm

BarryD2 wrote:

Can you elaborate on that? How does growth rate explain the different types of management that are apparent.

Because a forest here can be ready to harvest in 30 years as opposed to 60 70 80 years on the continent, there are other systems that are coming in, for example a continuous cover system where the forest is effectively thinned in perpetuity while managing natural regeneration and carrying out supplemental planting,

FitzElla · 22-08-2018 3:06pm

Ireland has a very low rate of forests with only 10% of land covered by forest compared to 33% on average for the EU28. A lot of this is due to historical reasons and while the rate has improved in the last 10-15 years, today a single species (Sitka spruce) makes up 52% of our forests.

Do you worry about any potential risks to Ireland's overall forest environment and bio-diversity by having essentially a single tree make up such a high proportion of our forests? Do you think more variety of trees should be planted, especially broadleafs?

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 3:07pm

BarryD2 wrote:

We have a windier country and I can appreciate the issue of wind throw if you cut out a portion of a plantation. But is this not down to the likes of forest planners and managers. In how you design and make up a scheme of planting? Surely instead of planting 50,000 spruce or whatever, you could mix things up more and have species with different growth rates and at different stages of development, with varying resistance to wind etc.

exactly as you said many areas in the West are not suited to other systems as if you open up to much they will be on the floor

ForestFire · 22-08-2018 3:18pm

Can you imagine my excitement of seeing this thread and then the disappointment when I read the actually subject of the thread.:o

COYR

Anyway, someone ask about native tress, but I did not see anything spefic on Ash tress, and the desease spreading throughout Europe. Are our hurleys safe?

Deise abu

Thanks.... I'm out of teams and sports now

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 3:20pm

FitzElla wrote:

Do you worry about any potential risks to Ireland's overall forest environment and bio-diversity by having essentially a single tree make up such a high proportion of our forests? Do you think more variety of trees should be planted, especially broadleafs?

I think more varieties should be planted to improve things but at the end of the day as I said a farmer is not going to commit his own land to forestry unless it's economics are favourable, government would have to increase the premiums for Broadleaf forests to counteract the economics of spruce

Gaspode · 22-08-2018 3:28pm

Hi, when an area of forest is cut, is there a specified amount of time that should elapse before the area is cleared of stumps and other debris and perhaps ploughed?

Does the planting of trees ruin the land for any other use, or are most people planting on land that would be considered marginal anyway?

My son is starting a forestry management course this September, will you give him a job in a few years please? Pretty please?

I'm a Forest Manager, AMA · 22-08-2018 3:33pm

Gaspode wrote:

Hi, when an area of forest is cut, is there a specified amount of time that should elapse before the area is cleared of stumps and other debris and perhaps ploughed?

you have to plant the land again 2 years after it has been cut

Gaspode wrote:

My son is starting a forestry management course this September, will you give him a job in a few years please? Pretty please?

every dog has his day ! best of luck to him though

fepper · 22-08-2018 3:43pm

Would you think the sentence in the legalisation that by law you have to replant after clear fall,ie.keep your land in forestry forever is a huge turn off especially to farmers even though it might be left in forestry forever anyway without being forced by a law,it kind of creates a nanny state attitude.....

Now Ye're Talking - to a forest manager

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