18 February 2023

New Forestry Programme 2023-2027

The new Forestry Programme 2023-2027 will come into force in early 2023, subject to state aid approval from the European Commission.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is currently considering and integrating feedback from stakeholders and the public further to the public consultation that was held and, subject to state aid approval, will launch the new Programme as soon as is allowable.

The proposed Forestry Programme 2023-2027 contains a series of eight different interventions:

1. Forest creation;
2. Agroforestry;
3. Infrastructure and technology investments;
4. Sustainable forest management;
5. Developing skills and empowering the forest sector for sustainable forest managemant;
6. Open forests – social, cultural and heritage forests;
7. Climate resilient reforestation;
8. Reconstruction.

Keep up to date with news on the new Forestry Programme and upcoming events by subscribing to our Forestry e-newsletter at www.teagasc.ie/forestrynews

Interim arrangement for applicants with approval

For those applicants that on December 31, 2022, hold a valid technical approval for afforestation or roads, but have not commenced work on planting or road construction, the Minister has approved an interim solution for afforestation and roads namely:

• Interim Afforestation Scheme (via General De Minimis); and,
• Interim Forest Road Scheme (via General De Minimis).

The schemes have been published and are available on the Department’s website: www.gov.ie/forestry. If the applicant with a valid approval wishes to await the launch of the Forestry Programme 2023- 2027, no further action is required at this stage.

This article was published in the Teagasc Forestry Newsletter – February 2023
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