The Farm Forest

Independent consultant foresters have responded to the increased level of activity in the private forestry sector in Ireland in recent years. Being experienced professionals with a broad range of expertise, consultant foresters provide a range of services and work directly for farmers and forestry owners.

Private consultants provide a customer-oriented service, tailor-made to suit an individual’s personal situation.

Many farmers considering the option of a forest enterprise on their land wish to remain closely involved in some or all of the woodland establishment and maintenance operations. The motivation behind this varies from farmer to farmer. Some wish to be involved in order to keep tight control of their new venture. Others wish to be involved in order to actively learn about woodland management. More wish to be involved in order to provide labour, machine hours and management time to the woodland establishment and management operations, for which they can be paid out of Afforestation Grant monies.

Whatever the motivation, farmers wishing to establish a farm forest enterprise themselves require professional forestry expertise. A consultant forester can provide this expertise.

Before committing land to a forest enterprise, a farmer can employ a consultant forester to assess the commercial and technical implications of different forest establishment options. Important matters such as forecasting revenue from forestry grants, premium payments and timber sales can be addressed in order to help in the planning of a forest enterprise in the context of a farmer’s existing agricultural enterprises.

A farmer embarking on a forest enterprise can engage a consultant forester to provide technical advice during the forest planning process and carry out the various administrative procedures required under the Forest Service’s Grant and Premium schemes. The consultant forester will liaise with the Forest Service and other official bodies on the farmer’s behalf in order to secure forest planting approval.

During the establishment of a forest, a consultant forester can be engaged to plan, organise and/or oversee some or all of the establishment operations, essentially providing a project management service. The consultant forester will have knowledge of and a working relationship with the various contractors required in the forest establishment process (cultivation, fencing, planting, vegetation and pest control, etc). They will also have contacts with the various tree nurseries.

If the farmer wishes to undertake some or all of the operations, this is possible under the guidance of the consultant forester. For example, many farmers are familiar with fencing operations and will erect forest fencing to the specification prescribed by the consultant forester. Some farmers are prepared to carry out all establishment operations using knowledge derived from forestry training courses, publications and technical guidance from a consultant forester. Farmers who do the work themselves can recoup through the grant scheme the cost of their own labour, machinery, materials and management / supervision time.

Farmers who have had a hands-on involvement in the establishment of their forest enterprise tend to be more informed and interested in the subsequent maintenance and development of their timber crop, ensuring that their forest enterprise maximises its potential.

As a farm forest grows, there is an on-going requirement for management input in order to ensure the production of quality, marketable timber. Consultant foresters, with their broad range of expertise, can plan and implement management operations throughout the rotation of a farm forest enterprise. Such operations include crop health assessment, road building, timber crop valuation, prescription and supervision of thinning and clearfelling operations, timber measurement and timber marketing.

There are many consultant foresters operating across Ireland. A sub-group of the Society of Irish Foresters has been formed to specifically represent some members working as consultant foresters within the Irish Forest Industry. The Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) also has several consultant forester members.