Forestry Newsletter - February 2022

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In this month's edition:

• A question for every landowner: how can you plan for some level of tree planting to maximise the potential benefits?
  With a new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) around the corner, along with a new Forestry Programme, now is a great time to reflect on land use and plan towards how we can shape farms and the broader rural landscape to maximise environmental benefits, while optimising food and timber production.
• Growing and managing woodland
  Teagasc is planning tree planting promotion events between March 21 and April 1. These events will be held around the country in forest sites (Covid-19 regulations permitting). These will be a great opportunity to see tree planting in action and discuss how tree planting might apply to individual sites.
• Harvesting and selling timber from conifer forests
  A step-by-step guide called ‘Harvesting and Selling Timber from Conifer Forests’, is now available. This publication is very timely, as the forecasted increase in timber supply to the Irish market in future years will come almost exclusively from privately-owned forests.
• Research Update - Genetic diversity
  Dheeraj Singh Rathore reports on BroadGen, a study of the genetic diversity and resilience of commercially important broadleaved tree species in Ireland. The BroadGen project is focused on: (1) evaluating the genetic diversity of the alder, birch, and sycamore tree species in Irish gene banks; and, (2) assessing the susceptibility of ash and alder gene banks to ash dieback and Phytophthora, respectively.