The Republic of Ireland has launched a new scheme to pay woodland owners in conservation and restoration projects, as part of the country’s wider plan to tackle biodiversity loss, under which some owners could receive €6,000 per hectare.
The new Native Woodland Conservation (NWC) Scheme, developed under the Forestry Programme 2023-2027, will offer grant aid for both private and public forest owners to take care of the indigenous forests.
“The NWC Scheme provides support to woodland owners to promote the sustainability of forest and woodland habitats through appropriate restoration measures, which will be identified following a careful assessment of the woodland and its needs by an ecologist and a registered forester,” said Pippa Hackett, an Irish minister of land use and biodiversity.
Private native forest owners can receive €6,000 per hectare for carrying out restoration and enhancement works. An additional €500 per ha can be delivered every year for seven years under the scheme. Public owners can apply for a grant of up to €3,000 per ha.
“Realising wood (and non wood) products from the woodland generates valuable income for the owner, and can create an economic basis for the ongoing management of many of Ireland’s native woodlands, beyond the scheme itself,” the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine added.
The NWC Scheme also supports other positive outcomes driven by conservation and reforestation, including carbon sequestration as part of Ireland’s plan to address the climate crisis.
FUNDING CRITERIA
The NWC Scheme has been developed and implemented with the support of Woodlands of Ireland, the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Heritage Council, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), and other native woodland stakeholders.
It will target projects that have high ecological priorities and satisfy at least one of the listed qualifying criteria, such as:
- “Ancient” woodland
- “Old” woodland
- Woodlands designated for conservation purposes under European and/or national legislation
- Woodlands adjacent to an aquatic zone, where native woodland restoration will contribute to the protection of water quality and aquatic habitats and species as well
- Sites involving the development of a native woodland for public access
The scheme identifies several eligible activities that landowners are required to do in order to get the funding. These include purchasing suitable native planting stock, clearing invasive species, removing non native trees, protecting forests through fencing, and carrying out maintenance works.
Attention to biodiversity in the country is gaining momentum. Last month, Ireland launched its fourth National Biodiversity Action Plan, with the aim of implementing “transformative changes” to meet the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets by 2030.
Many of Ireland’s native woodlands have been so far under-managed, facing “short-, medium- and long-term threats” that undermine their endurance, according to Hackett.
“Ireland’s native woodlands are a precious resource,” minister Hackett said in a blog post on Monday.
“They protect and enhance our biodiversity, soil, and water quality, while mitigating the challenges that we face through climate change. I am delighted that we can reward and support native woodland owners so that they can manage and conserve these forests.”
In September, Landscape Finance Lab told Carbon Pulse an emerging Republic of Ireland peatland standard is working to address biodiversity credits before the end of 2025.
By Giada Ferraglioni – giada@carbon-pulse.com
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