DAERA Minister has launched the Tree Planting
Action Plan, setting out key actions to accelerate tree planting
rates and support achieving 12% forest cover in Northern Ireland
by 2050.
The Northern Ireland Tree Planting Action Plan: A Plan for
Woodland Creation 2026 - 2032 reflects DAERA's commitment to
tackling climate change and biodiversity loss and will support
delivery of priorities in the Programme for Government 2024-2027,
Climate Action Plan and Environmental Improvement Plan.
The Action Plan consists of 10 strategic actions, supported by 31
implementing actions, which aim to improve governance and the
implementation of tree planting measures, alongside increasing
communication, knowledge transfer, education and capacity
building, combined with a focus on building on our research and
evidence base.
The action plan has been co-designed with a wide range of
stakeholders including Woodland Trust, representatives of
Confederation of Forest Industries (CONFOR), forestry companies,
eNGOs, Ulster Farmers' Union, NI Water, and local councils.
Minister Muir said: From Tollymore to Garvagh and
Binevenagh, our forests add so much to our unique and cherished
landscapes. Yet, despite our ambitions to increase woodland
cover, we still have a long way to go.
The launch of Northern Ireland's first Tree Planting Action Plan
comes at a critical juncture for nature and our climate. It aims
to build on the aspirations of the Forests for Our Future
programme and ensure we ramp up our efforts and address the
factors inhibiting woodland expansion.
More woodlands are essential to a shared and prosperous future,
delivering improved air and water quality, natural carbon capture
and flood management, and vital habitats for nature recovery.
Forests and woodlands provide us with outdoor leisure
opportunities and skilled jobs in rural areas. We all set to gain
from ambitious afforestation.
Minister Muir continued: Recognising the need to go further and
faster to realise these benefits, I tasked officials to work with
stakeholders to develop this plan. I am greatly encouraged by the
sense of a shared vision and am grateful for the expertise and
commitment given to the co-design process.
Given the amount of agricultural land in Northern Ireland,
farmers will play a key role in the action plan's successful
implementation. By raising awareness and improving understanding,
we can build confidence that farm woodlands are valued assets and
a viable land-use that can be integrated into Northern Ireland's
productive agricultural landscape, supporting economically
sustainable farm enterprises.
This plan is only the beginning. It is incumbent on us to keep
working together to remove barriers and identify opportunities to
ensure we plant trees in the right place. Together we can improve
our environment for all of us and future generations to benefit
from.
Notes to editors:
- The Forestry Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 places upon the
Department a general duty to promote afforestation through
woodland creation and sustainable forest management.
- Northern Ireland's first Tree Planting Action Plan outlines
steps to support increasing forest cover from the current 8.6% to
12% over the next 25 years.
- Sustainable forest management is achieved by compliance with
the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS). The standard sets out the
approach of the four UK governments and provides a basis for
operating grant schemes and assessing compliance with best
practice and environmental management standards.
