Private forestry sector is in crisis across province

This is a direct result of the failure on the part of Forest Service to confirm any new tree planting approval for new woodland creation through the 2023/24 Forestry Expansion Scheme (FES) and the Small Woodland Grant Scheme (SWGS).

Premier Woodlands’ managing director, John Hetherington, commented: “There are also big problems arising with regard to tree felling licences and the knock-on impact on re-planting projections. Felling Licence applications can take up to 12 months to be processed. All of these problems have arisen as a direct result of inaction on the part of Forest Service.

“And, as a consequence, all of the business involved in the provision of forestry and woodland and development services here in Northern Ireland have now reached a key tipping point.

“We are now at the beginning of March. If Forest Service does not act in the next week or two, the 2023/24 tree planting season will have passed without any new woodland creation at all or other follow on woodland development work taking place.

“Such an eventuality puts a large question mark over the entire future of Northern Ireland’s private forestry sector.”

This would totally jeopardise the initiatives that will be required to use tree planting as a frontline response to the challenges posed by climate change.

He continued: “Land owners from across Northern Ireland submitted their FES and SWGS applications last August, complying fully with the measures confirmed by Forest Service for both schemes at that time.

“But since then, applicants have received no information back regarding the administration of their respective projects. Normally, Forest Service would issue letters-of-offer for grant-aid linked to both FES and SWGS, prior to Christmas of the year in which applications had been submitted. This would have allowed tree planting work to get under way in the early New Year.”

Forest Service is an agency within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Both the current FES and SWGS measures were funded courtesy of the last Rural Development Plan (RDP), agreed by the European Union for Northern Ireland.

John Hetherington again: “Forest Service has not met its planting targets set under FES and SWGS up to this point. So the RDP money to fund the 2023/24 schemes should have been available if new woodland creation grant contracts had been confirmed before 31st December. I can’t emphasise the fact enough that farmers and other landowners, committed to forestry and woodland development in Northern Ireland did everything in full before the application deadline in August when applying for both FES and SWGS.

“The current tree planting hold-ups are a direct result of the failure on the part of Forest Service to respond adequately.”

John Hetherington is calling on Northern Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Alan Muir, to intervene directly, where these matters are concerned.

He further explained: “Forest Service must be held to account. Premier Woodlands has invited Minister Muir to visit a private sector forestry plantation that has been specifically planned by developed by the company.

“We hope he will accept out invitation in the very near future.”