Southern and Eastern Region, Ireland

SIMWOOD activities

Regional contacts University College Dublin, National University of Ireland Charles Harper () Irish Wood Producers Alex Kelly () Forest Enterprise Ltd (trading as VEON) Daragh Little ()

 

Focus on Southern and Eastern Ireland

Read the feature in SIMWOOD's December 2015 newsletter Find out about: SIMWOOD's work in the region the Regional Learning Lab the two pilot projects

 

Events and presentations

16.06.2016	South East Forestry Expo for forest owners Kilkenny, Ireland
06.05.2015	Workshop on Wood Mobilisation: the   role of forest cooperatives Presentations from the workshop Waterford, Ireland

30.10.2014

First stakeholder meeting, Mount Juliet More photographs from the event Irish Wood Producers Facebook album

 

Regional news

19.12.2015	Wood growers focus group get fired up about local forests New Ross Standard
17.12.2015	Castle hosts conference on sustainable wood Kilkenny People
12.12.2015	Timber mobilisation - an Irish and EU challenge Irish Farmer's Journal
2015	Wood mobilisation in Ireland Forestry and Energy Review, Volume 5 issue 1
13.02.2015	SIMWOOD Week held in Edinburgh Irish Wood Producers Facebook album
07.01.2015	Forest management: Plotting the future of forestry Article in independent.ie
11.02.2014	The Irish Wood Producers

 

Resources

Mobilising Ireland's forest resource, COFORD, 2015

 SIMWOOD is referenced in the report, see also Annex 2.

Background: Under COFORD a Wood Mobilisation Group was established and the goals of this group were to identify and make recommendations on issues impacting on access to and mobilisation of wood resources, to look at ways to address the shortfall in wood fibre supply and update the wood harvest forecast done in 2011. The recommendations are very much at a national level, looking at issues like streamlining the bureaucracy around forest road entrances, technical standards for roads, transparency in timber prices, transport technology to protect poor public roads, forest owner advice/knowledge.

The issues addressed in this report were reflected in the SE Ireland RLL meeting in autumn 2014.

About Southern and Eastern Ireland

Area: 36,414 km2
Population: 3.1 million
Forest area: 375,000 ha
Private forests: 162,000 ha (43% of total)
Private forest owners: 8,500
Forest type: Plantations of not-site-native species and self-sown exotic forest

Specific situation Private forests in this region established since 1985 mainly on marginal agricultural land in response to subsidies available for afforestation. Earlier plantations typically comprise monocultures of Sitka spruce; more recently broadleaves. Many due to be thinned for the first time. Important forest functions are timber production, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and recreation (in specific parts).

Main challenges Relatively small, inaccessible plantations. Almost all 'new' owners with no traditional knowledge of forest management; not familiar with need to thin plantations. Not aware of 'value' of woodland - value associated with subsidies

Regional initiatives

Producer groups e.g. Wexford Wood Producers

Irish Wood Producers is a collaboration of the Wexford Wood Producers, Timber Kilkenny Cooperative Society, Laois Farm Forestry Growers Group and the Waterford Forest Owners Group.

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