Publication
Forestry Opportunities Map
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The Forestry Opportunities Map incorporates new environmental considerations and associated mapping layers relevant to the Forestry Programme 2023–2027.
The map provides high-level national guidance on land suitability for afforestation, supporting the establishment of forests for various purposes, including timber production, environmental enhancement, climate change mitigation, forest industry development, alternative off-farm income generation, and opportunities for tourism and recreational use. Areas with additional potential for forest planting, as well as areas where new planting would be unsuitable for various reasons are identified. At national and regional levels, the opportunities map shows that there is sufficient, as yet unplanted lands available to meet the Government’s recently published Forest Strategy target of 18% national forest cover by 2050.
The Forestry Opportunities Map is consistent with and feeds into the Land Use Review (Phase 1 and 2) which forms part of the Programme for Government. The objective of the Land Use Review is to ensure that optimal land use options inform all relevant Government decisions and to provide an evidence base to determine the environmental, ecological and economic characteristics of land types across Ireland
