Afforestation

 

The first step following a landowner contacting us is one of our qualified foresters will undertake an inspection of your land to determine its suitability for forestry and select the most productive species for your site.

We will then make a grant application to the Forest Service and manage the application process through to grant approval.

Once approved we will undertake all required establishment works and forest maintenance, to ensure the successful establishment of your forest crop.

 

(Forest PREMIUM TABLE)

– Incentives for planting

• Farmers can retain full basic payment scheme (BPS) payments on planted land
• Income Tax-Free premium payable for 15 years to all landowners
• Afforestation grants cover the full cost of planting*.
• Landowner remains full owner of both the land and the crop
• Tax efficient regarding inheritance

*subject to site size

 

NWS, Native Woodland Scheme

This Scheme is divided into two Elements

Element 1 –Conservation

The aim of NWS Conservation is to support the appropriate restoration of existing native

woodlands and (where appropriate) the conversion of existing non-native forest to native

woodland, in order to promote the restoration of Ireland’s native woodland resource and

associated biodiversity.

The scheme includes a conservation grant for all work carried out and also premiums  for up to 7 years.

 

Insert Table 1  Annex 2 ( Pg 29) – Grant and premium rates – Native woodland conservation scheme manual September 2015 – Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine

 

Element 2 – Establishment

The aim of Native Woodland Establishment is to support the creation of new native woodland on open ‘greenfield’ sites by farmers and other landowners, in order to promote the expansion of Ireland’s native woodland resource and associated biodiversity.

 

This includes the establishment grant, which covers all costs associated with planting*, and premiums for 15 years.

 

15 Year Premiums Rates

Grant Premium Category		€ / ha	€/ ac
GPC 9	Native Woodland Establishment – Scenarios 1-3	635	257
GPC 10	Native Woodland Establishment – Scenario 4	635	257

 

*subject to site size

 

 

 

Native Woodland Establishment Grant Rates

Woodland Improvement Scheme

This Forest Service grant scheme provides financial support to forest holders towards the cost of woodland improvement works associated with tending and thinning of broad-leaf forests planted post 1980 under grant aided afforestation schemes. The maximum grant aid is €750 per treated hectare over the full rotation of the crop.

Steps involved ;

1. One of our foresters will visit the site and assess the crop for its suitability for the Woodland Improvement Scheme
2. If the crop is suitable we make a grant application and a felling license application for the landowner
3. When approval for the above applications issue we will meeting with the landowner to discuss harvesting operations
4. We coordinate and supervise the tending or thinning works with one of our experienced and qualified contractors.
5. Alternatively if a landowner wishes to undertake the works themselves we will advise on the standard of work required to meet grant specifications.
6. If required we market the felled timber on the landowners behalf

Timber HARVESTING

 

Timber Harvesting & Marketing Services

 

Pre-harvest

We carry out a site inspection undertaking the following

• Crop Assessment – to determine the crop suitability for harvesting and timing
• Roading – we assess the suitability of the existing access. For further information please see Roading section. (link to roading section of website)

 

Harvesting project management

• Felling License application*
• Provide landowner with an open and transparent breakdown of timber sales prices and associated costs
• Provide landowner with a contract
• Select competent and qualified contractor
• Compile Harvesting Site Safety pack for each operator including site risk assessment
• Monitoring operations – regular site inspections by foresters to supervise harvesting and haulage operations.

 

Agree sale type with landowner (eg. Standing Sale, Roadside or Delivered to Sawmill) and establish a price for the timber based on market prices at the time of harvesting.

The majority of the time our customers choose the Delivered to Sawmill option as we have built up good relationships with saw-millers in supplying their raw material through the years.

We organize a registered harvesting contractor to either Thin or Clear-fell the forest depending on the crop and forward the forest products to roadside. Once at roadside the haulage contractor will deliver to the sawmill.

We set up a docket system so every load of timber that leaves the forest with the haulage contractor is accounted for. Once we receive weight data (tonnes) from the weighbridge at the sawmill we send reports to the landowner as to what exactly has come from their forest via email.

*A Felling Licence is required for all timber harvesting. This is a legal requirement under the Forestry Act 2014. The issuing of licences is controlled by the Forest Service – Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

 

Post-harvest

• provide landowner with Timber Harvesting Report and weight dockets for all timber movements.

 

 

 

 

• Forestlink personnel has combined 80+ years in experience in forestry
• Currently manage 265 estates and private forests; 5,000 ha under the management of Forestlink
• Standing timber prices in Ireland have doubled between 2004 and 2014
• Irish sawmill industry competes aggressively for timber supplies
• Bio-energy is a new source of demand. Re. Forestlink wood-chip
• Professional Forestry Management carried out by our qualified foresters. – We hold an FSC chain of custody which certifies that all timber we manage comes from sustainable sources. Our FSC Chain of Custody fulfils the purchasers due diligence obligations under the EU Timber Regulations 2013.We make Felling Licence Applications on behalf of Forest owners.
• We liaise with the forest owners and Saw-milling sectors to only harvest when the price is right.
• ForestLink already has long established relationships with timber customers i.e. Sawmills
• Forestlink personnel were part of the first private forestry company in Ireland to demand the internationally recognised FSC standard for all the Investment and Pension fund estates under our management. This enabled us to maintain the highest standards while also maximizing the return on investment for our clients.
• It is universally acknowledged that forest management must be sustainable, market-led and commercially driven in order to justify the investment made and optimize returns for the owner.
• ForestLink has provided FSC forest management to private forest owners across Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford and Cork. ForestLink provide this certified forest management according to the internationally accepted FSC Standard (www.fsc.org).