The Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Pippa Hackett, launched a study from COFORD on voluntary private forest certification in Ireland. Forestry certification is a voluntary process for forest owners whereby forests are independently certified according to a defined set of metrics. The study establishes that fewer than 6% of private forests in Ireland are certified and provides a series of recommendations to help increase certification.
Forestry Services Ltd (FSL) has announced that it has become the "first private forestry company in Ireland to achieve Dual Certification in Forest Management".
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for forestry, Andrew Doyle, today congratulated the North East Forestry Group and the Forest Owners Co-operative Society, at a function in the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, on achieving Group certification.
Press Release DAFM, 30 April 2018 - Read Full Press Release...
Abraham Kingston is a dairy and former drystock farmer from Drimoleague, West Cork. His 28 hectares support 45 dairy cows, as well as replacement heifers..
Abraham was one of the pioneers of farm forestry in the late 1980s when he decided to plant an out-farm near Ballydehob. He said: "The land in question was miles away from the home farm, was heavy in nature and ideal for forestry."
He is also one of the co-operative members engaged in a pilot group certification initiative. This certification makes the timber much more attractive to sell on international markets.
Article by Steven Meyen (Farm Ireland, 2nd January 2018) - Read Full Article ...
There was a large attendance of private forest owners at the public information evening on 'Getting your Forest Certified' recently hosted by the Forest Owners Co-operative Society (FOCS) in Macroom.
Members of FOCS expect that their forests will be certified within two years.
They are engaged in a pilot project, with the support of the Forest Service and in association with North Eastern Forestry Group (NEFG), that will result in member forests being certified to the highest industry standard.
Article in Irish Examiner (15th June 2017) - Read Full Article ...
