Coillte is Ireland’s largest and most experienced integrated Forestry Company. We are involved in all aspects of timber production from the sourcing of seed, the production of quality nursery stock, planting, maintenance, harvesting and marketing. Our subsidiary company Smartply Europe limited is the largest processor of pulpwood in the country. As the largest landowners on the island of Ireland, we have a presence in every parish offering employment locally, where other traditional jobs are diminishing.
IS MY LAND SUITABLE FOR TREES? Not all sites are suitable for planting. The land to be planted must
• be in agricultural use prior to planting,
• not be part of an existing or proposed NHA (Natural Heritage Area) or an SAC (Special Area of Conservation), or an SPA (Special Protection Area),
• conform to Forest Service environmental and planning guidelines (See Planning and Environmental issues),
• have soil suitable for growing trees, in particular the pH or lime level can restrict the species which may be planted or render the area unsuitable for planting. This is common in midland areas and generally means that a Forest Soils Test will be required.…
Ground Cultivation Methods The most important reason for cultivating ground prior to planting is to provide a suitable planting medium for the trees. Soil-type, slope and drainage conditions will dictate the most suitable method of cultivation.
Good quality planting stock is critical to the successful establishment of your future plantation. For this reason you should always check your plants to ensure that they conform to your requirements and to a high quality standard..
Maintenance should start on all sites once the trees are planted. Key tasks include operations such as weed control, replacing tree losses and ensuring that the crop remains healthy and vigorous. All young plantations should be maintained so that:
The most commonly planted broadleaved trees in Ireland are ash, sycamore, oak and beech. The lower section of the trunk is the most valuable part of these trees. This is the portion of the tree, which yields the greatest financial return. Particular attention should be paid to stem quality over the first 4 years during which time stem height is likely to reach between 2.0 to 4.0 metres. A quality stem in a young broadleaved tree is one which is straight and unforked, with no particularly heavy branches distorting it.
ish forests are among the healthiest in Europe with relatively few serious forest pests and diseases. This is mainly due to our island status, the relative newness of the forest estate and the enforcement of plant health regulations. The increasing movement between countries of plant material and wood products such as logs, sawn timbers, pallets, packing cases and ship’s dunnage increases the risk of spread of potentially very damaging forest pests and diseases. The threat to Irish forests is best illustrated by the damage caused by Dutch Elm Disease which was introduced into Ireland and which has devastated our elm tree population. It is vital that our increasingly valuable forest estate is protected from similar exotic threats.
Nutrient Deficiencies The nutrient requirements of trees are low in comparison to most agricultural crops. However, sufficient nutrients must be continuously available to achieve good growth rates and high yields. As trees develop, the need for fertiliser will depend on the soil type and tree species planted. Trees growing on infertile peaty or mineral soils may display symptoms of nutrient deficiency after a number of years. These deficiencies can occur despite correct fertiliser application at planting time. It is important to walk your plantation and monitor trees regularly for any of the following:
Many areas of land throughout the countryside contain existing degraded woodland or scrub which have received little or no management in the past. Such areas may be eligible for grant aid under one of the Forest Service schemes.
Thinning increases the total volume yield of usable timber over the lifetime of the crop and provides an intermediate source of timber and revenue before clearfelling. Before making the decision on whether to thin the plantation, a qualified forester should be employed to assess the crop. The decision to thin is dependent on a number of factors: species and age, ground conditions, degree of access, availability of markets, suitable machinery and skilled labour.
-The current emphasis on biodiversity or nature conservation arises from global concerns for the quality of our environment. The word “biodiversity” is a combination of the words “biological” and “diversity”, and refers to the range of plant and animal species that live on this planet.
Sustainable Forest Management
Why and who benefits?
Over the past number of years, there has been a steady increase in the number and complexity of rules and regulations with regard to forest plantations in Ireland. Many farmers regard these regulations as a disincentive to setting up a farm forest enterprise. Why then are these regulations in place?
The Forest Service of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is the State body with overall responsibility for forestry in Ireland. The Forest Service oversees the spending of EU financial supports for forestry. It is also responsible for the promotion of private forestry, for forest protection, control of felling and the promotion of research in forestry and forest produce.
Written by By Paul Lafferty B.Agr.Sc (Forestry) MSIF, James Cleary & Sons, Auctioneers, Castlerea, Co. Rosc
Thursday, 03 July 2003
We all know the three most important rules of selling property….
location, location, location. For forestry plantations however, a more accurate rule of thumb might be location, rotation, rotation. Location is always important when selling any property, the nearer a property is to its market, the easier it is to sell. Rotation is defined as the length of time from planting and establishment to clearfell. The faster a tree crop grows, the shorter its rotation will be. Yield Class is a measure of how fast a timber crop grows i.e. a Yield Class 24 crop grows twice as fast as a Yield Class 12 crop, on average. Thus a high Yield Class crop will have a shorter rotation and give an earlier and better return on investment.
Forestry premium payments
The level of forestry premium being paid on a plantation will affect the price that a purchaser is willing to pay. The rate of premium paid to “qualifying farmers” is more than double the non- farmer rate of premium and is paid for twenty years whereas the non-farmer premium is only paid for fifteen years. Therefore, a purchaser may be willing to pay more for a plantation that is attracting the farmer rate of premium. However, the new owner must also qualify as a farmer in order to continue receiving the higher rate. The species of tree planted will also affect the premium, as the payment for broadleaves is higher than for conifers. Where the lower non-farmer premium has been paid on a plantation, the payment will continue to be paid at the non-farmer rate, even if the new owner is a qualifying farmer. There are also different rates of premium paid depending on the year in which the area was planted. Some older plantations do not carry any premium payments at all. However, as many of these plantations are almost old enough to thin, many investors are interested in purchasing these plantations despite the lack of premium payments.
All earnings from forests including annual premiums are currently tax-free in Ireland. This is a major advantage when selling plantations, as a tax-free return on any investment is highly attractive.
Other Features
Other features which help when selling forest plantations are old cottages on the lands or the ruins of old dwellings. Plantations adjoining rivers and lakes have an added attraction to investors with an interest in hunting and fishing.
Plantations that have good road frontage may have site potential or be of interest to those wishing to build a holiday home in a forest.
All these factors must be taken into account when marketing a forest plantation. The informed advice of an auctioneer who is experienced in the forestry property market will help you to attract the best market return for the plantation.
Forest Sales 
