Forestry, Wetlands and Bogs

Forests, wetlands and bogs provide a wide range of benefits when it comes to climate action. They remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere. This helps to reduce climate change, as well as provide cleaner air and water.

These areas are also home to a large diversity of plant and animal species. This can help to address the biodiversity crisis, in other words the variety of life and species, by providing space for wildlife to live.

Forests also play a vital role in the bio-economy, by providing renewable raw materials for the manufacture of a wide range of wood products, such as timber for use in construction.

Bogs and wetlands can reduce the effects of storm and flood events by naturally storing water in the landscape like a sponge, and releasing it slowly back into the atmosphere.

The planting of new forests gives farmers the opportunity to expand the use of their lands and future income.

Key Forestry targets under the Climate Action Plan:

• increasing plantation rates to reach our forestry land cover target of 18% by 2050
• identifying and addressing barriers to afforestation (planting new forests)
• building 125km of new forest roads every year
• promoting forestry through a range of initiatives
• promoting timber products and renewable energy as key outputs of forestry

Key Bogs and Wetlands targets under the Climate Action Plan:

• restoration of 22,107 hectares of raised bog habitat
• establish priority peatland sites which can be used to monitor climate change
• assess post-production use of Bord na Móna peat extraction bog sites
• support for vulnerable communities, workers and areas transitioning from peat production, through the Just Transition framework

Key Forestry actions completed under the Climate Action Plan:

• continuing tree breeding programmes to improve resilience and adaptation
• establishment of Coillte Nature to deliver new woodlands with a focus on the environment and recreational forests
• assessing potential of state-owned land for afforestation
• progression of Forestry Programme 2014-2020 Mid Term Review recommendations, including promotion of Woodland Environmental Fund

Key Bog and Wetlands actions completed under the Climate Action Plan:

• rehabilitation plans prepared for post-production use of Bord na Móna peat extraction sites
• restoration measures completed for a number of raised bog habitats

a suite of measures have been put in place to support communities and workers affected by the ending of peat harvesting. For example, the appointment of a Just Transition commissioner and the publication of the Just Transition Progress Report, which was accompanied by the opening of applications for use of the [external-link https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/06b7f-just-transition-progress-report-is-published | €11 million Just Transition Fund ]

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provides a number of grants to support forestry in Ireland:

• Forestry Establishment Grants: financial support to establish a new broadleaf or conifer forest
• Forestry Management Grants: financial support to better manage your existing forest