This presentation was given at the Catchment Management Network meeting on February 24th 2017. The Catchment Management Network consists of the EPA, all of Ireland's Local Authorities, and other public bodies involved in looking after Ireland's catchments, sub-catchments and water bodies. For more information about this work see www.catchments.ie

1. New Forestry Measures to
Promote Water Quality
Kevin Collins, Forestry Inspector
Forest Service-DAFM
Presentation at the Catchment Management
Network Meeting
Athlone
24th February 2017

2. Forestry in Ireland
 c.11% of land area
 53% public (Coillte), 47% private (farmers)
 Vibrant sector, from nursery to product:
 Employs 12,000+, mainly rural
 €2.2 billion contribution to economy (2012)
 Wide range of ecosystem services: water, biodiversity,
landscape, carbon & amenity
 This role recognised in current policy (Forests, products &
people) & 2014-2020 Forestry Programme
 Forest Service (DAFM) is the consenting authority for key
forestry activities (afforestation, forest road construction,
thinning / felling & replanting, & aerial fertilisation) &
implements support schemes under the Forestry
Programme

3. Forests & water…
A. Negative impacts on water can arise with inappropriately sited & poorly managed
forests
B. However, appropriately sited, designed & managed woodlands & forests can:
 deliver key water-related ecosystem services
 play an important role in meeting objectives under 2nd WFD cycle
Eliminate ‘A’ and promote ‘B’

4. Regulation & promotion
 FS-DAFM oversees significant activity, …
 … e.g. in 2014-15: c.12,500 ha afforestation; c.5,000 Felling
Licences; 326 km of new forest roads
 Procedures to assess applications & to check compliance:
 GIS-based & field inspections by Forestry Inspectors
 Referrals to NPWS, Fisheries, CoCos, An Taisce, EPA, etc.
 AA Screening & EIA Screening
 Mandatory ‘guidelines’ & requirements (incl. species
specific)
 Scheme standards, terms & conditions
 Protocols (e.g. acid sensitivity protocol, Hen Harrier
procedures)
 iNET online system for Registered Foresters
 Training for Registered Foresters
 Penalties, sanctions, prosecutions
Protection of the environment – including water – central

5. Land Types for Afforestation
 Released in March 2016
 Uses indicator plant species to assess the
potential ‘Yield Class’ of a site
 If a minimum Yield Class of 14 is not
possible, site ineligible under
Afforestation Scheme
 Similarly for various defined site
conditions
 Production-focused, but excludes
afforestation from a range of water-
sensitive sites, habitats & landscapes,
e.g.
 wet & dry heath & blanket & raised
bog
 sites that cannot be adequately
drained
 sites prone to flooding

6. Environmental Requirements for Afforestation
 Released in Dec16, applies to all new
approvals issued after that date
 Consolidates & updates previous guidelines,
ref. afforestation
 Regarding water:
 Measures for aquatic zones, relevant
watercourses(*), hotspots & water
abstraction points
(* Defined as “A watercourse that is not shown on an
OS 6 inch map but which: is connected to an aquatic
zone onsite, adjoining the site or elsewhere; and has
the potential to carry significant amounts of sediments
/ nutrients, or shows evidence of erosion / deposition.”
i.e. sub-order pathways)
 Integrates Sustainable Use of Pesticides
Regs. (S.I.155/2012) & Good Plant
Protection Practice
 Includes template for contingency
planning & water management plan
 Enhanced water setbacks...

7. Water setback
 Purpose:
“To create at the outset, a buffer of natural ground vegetation positioned between
defined water features & the forest crop & associated operations, in order to protect
water quality & aquatic ecosystems from possible sediment & nutrient runoff from
the site at afforestation & throughout the remainder of the forest rotation”
 Setback table:
 Outside-most 10 m can be replaced by a native woodland plot
 Minimum allowable width of a forest plot is 20 m tree-to-tree, therefore…
 … (if option used) creates a 30 m wide (min.) semi-natural permanent
protective strip along the watercourse in these sensitive areas

8. Forest & water research
 DAFM forest research programme set out in Forest Research Ireland – Meeting the
needs of Ireland’s forest sector to 2017 through research and innovation 
 Significant scope for water-related research activities, e.g. under Theme 3.6 Ecosystem
Services
 Recent research projects informing forest policy & practices:
• Forestry Management for the Freshwater Pearl Mussel (FORMMAR)
• 4-year Combined Research on Riparian Woodland (CROW), focused on aquatic
buffer zones
• 7-year Assessment of the Impacts of Forest Operations on the Ecological Quality of
Water (HYDROFOR), jointly funded by the EPA & DAFM & investigating the
relationships between conifer forests, forestry operations, & surface water quality
& ecology in Irish rivers & lakes

9. Forestry & Freshwater Pearl Mussel
 FS-DAFM developing a Plan for Forestry & Freshwater Pearl Mussel (FPM) in Ireland
 SEA & AA processes underway, draft plan due for public consultation in early
2017
 KerryLIFE sustainable land use management for the conservation of FPM, based on
the Caragh and Kerry Backwater FPM catchments
 Trialing a wide range of forestry activities (halo-thinning, conifer removal, native
woodland reseeding, firebreak management…)  application elsewhere…?

10. Support for native woodland
 Native Woodland Scheme (NWS) developed &
implemented by FS-DAFM in partnership with
Woodlands of Ireland, Heritage Council, NPWS,
Inland Fisheries Ireland & other native
woodland stakeholders 
 Supporting the restoration & expansion of our
native woodland resource & associated
biodiversity,
 plus a strong focus on water
 Two elements…

11. Native Woodland Conservation
Scheme
 The restoration of existing native
woodlands and the conversion of
non-native forest (conifer) to
native woodland
 Private, Coillte and NPWS
 Up to €5,000 / ha plus premium
of €350 / ha for 7 years (for
private)

13. Native Woodland Establishment Scheme
 Creation – on ‘greenfield’ sites – of the
most appropriate native woodland
type(s)
 Highest grant & premium available:
€5,750 / ha grant plus €635 / ha / 15
years
 Allows more nuanced design of new
plantations

14. Woodland for Water
Released in Sept. 2016, promoting the use of new
native woodlands (under the NWS) to create
permanent semi-natural buffers along watercourses,
specifically to protect & enhance water:
 reduction in sediment mobilisation & runoff
into watercourses
 interception of nutrient runoff into
watercourses
 bank stabilisation
 food input into the aquatic ecosystem
 shading / cooling
 regulation of floodwater
 mitigating acidification
Discussions underway with the EPA & others to explore the strategic
targeting of the Woodland for Water measure on key sites, to help
achieve objectives under the 2nd cycle of the WFD
Making forestry part of the solution…