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Now Ye're Talking - to a forest manager

  • 22-08-2018 8:23am
    #1
    Boards.ie Employee Posts: 12,597 ✭✭✭✭✭Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Community Manager


    Today we have a forest manager with us who manages commercial forestry in Ireland from planting to clearfell. They have many years experience in the forestry industry and are involved in the management of some privately owned estates around the country.


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Comments

  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Regional East Moderators, Regional North West Moderators Posts: 11,918 Mod ✭✭✭✭miamee


    Is there much call for commercial forestry in Ireland? Does most of the wood stay in Ireland or get exported? Are they generally one type of tree or do you look after a variety of tree types?

    I was watching something recently about a toilet roll factory in the UK (I know, I know :D) and they bought their pulp from forests in Sweden. It showed the whole process from forest to factory. Do you have any idea what finished products your trees end up in?


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,614 ✭✭✭TheBody


    Thanks for doing this AMA.


    A neighbour of mine has an ash tree plantation (around 15 years old). He reported suspected ash die-back to the forest service almost a year ago and after repeatedly e-mailing them he has had no response. It still has not been tested or inspected.



    Do you know what the latest approach from the Dept. to this disease is?



    What are your thought on the future of ash trees in Ireland?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,434 ✭✭✭fepper


    Has the native alder any commercial value in forestry or do you think its literally for the birds,thanks.....


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,066 ✭✭✭Mech1


    Are Grey Squirrel numbers doing harm and would i get permission to hunt them with a air rifle?


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    miamee wrote:
    Is there much call for commercial forestry in Ireland? Does most of the wood stay in Ireland or get exported? Are they generally one type of tree or do you look after a variety of tree types?

    730,000 ha is under forestry in ireland at this point in time, there is a government grant and premium scheme for land owners to plant forestry and it does not cost them a penny, 4200 hectares of private forestry was planted last year so there is a demand for it !

    Most timber harvested in ireland is exported to England with a small proportion going to France,
    miamee wrote:
    I was watching something recently about a toilet roll factory in the UK (I know, I know ) and they bought their pulp from forests in Sweden. It showed the whole process from forest to factory. Do you have any idea what finished products your trees end up in?

    Comercial Conifers go for pulp (used for toilet roll and firewood) Pallet (makes your garden pots and climbing frames and fencing panels) and then sawlog goes for construction timber (to build your house with), so a wide variety of uses !


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    Do you feel the investment aspect of commercial forestry has been very oversold to the public as a way of making money over the medium term?


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    TheBody wrote:
    Do you know what the latest approach from the Dept. to this disease is?


    sorry to hear that, the department has currently suspended the ash reconstitution scheme, I would recommend that your neighbour makes contact with a registered forester like myself to have the forest surveyed, most likely the affected trees would be removed from the forest under the woodland improvement scheme


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,931 ✭✭✭✭challengemaster


    Does the forest manager shít in the woods?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,003 ✭✭✭mirwillbeback


    Would you have sold Collymore if you had been there in 1994?


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    fepper wrote:
    Has the native alder any commercial value in forestry or do you think its literally for the birds,thanks.....


    native Alder grows very vigorously but has poor form in the trees, generally your talking firewood in the early years and then there would be furniture planking down the line


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  • Registered Users Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    has this years crazy weather had any impact on the forestry sector?

    is the presence of a semi state in the sector a help or hindrance?


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    Does the forest manager shít in the woods?

    I've been known to leave a few logs behind me alright


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭begbysback


    Are three trees really considered to be a forest?


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    Do you feel the investment aspect of commercial forestry has been very oversold to the public as a way of making money over the medium term?


    not really, investment in forestry is still much safer than heading to the stock exchange and is used as a medium to long term investment with a good IRR on your initial investment


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,330 ✭✭✭✭siblers


    Is there enough being done to plant native Irish trees or to encourage the planting of native Irish trees? When driving up and down this country you see big forests that have been planted in recent years and they all seem to contain foreign types of tree


  • Registered Users Posts: 876 ✭✭✭TheBully


    Iv got 99 trees...... but a birch ain’t one.

    If you could only ever look at one species of tree for the rest of your days what would it be?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,921 ✭✭✭Reati


    Not so much a forestry question but Do you think the planning laws need to be updated to force widespread planting in around towns boundaries and the such. Driving past places on the N11 during the day and towns standing out like a sore thumb yet in the States where I travel for work the have built into the forest and it's very much a part of landscape of the towns. Why is there no love for solid planting? Is it a cost thing? Even a nearby to me housing estate that went up they torn down all the boundary trees and put up horrible concrete panels. I don't get it :)

    Second, what's the best trees for screening all a border. I built last year and planned 100s of bareroots, mainly native trees and Griselinia (though many didn't make it through the snow and drought).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,732 ✭✭✭BarryD2


    Two questions:

    In France, Germany, Belgium etc., you see a different type of forest management. It's as if the forest is managed over decades and centuries even. They seem to thin and clear fell smaller plots at a time, so the overall effect is more like a patchwork. In Ireland, we seem to have more of a slash and burn type of management. A plantation is established, there is thinning but then the whole lot is often just cleared and replanted. This has a much greater impact on the landscape, environment and wildlife etc., and usually not a good one. Can the 'European' model be used in Ireland and/or why not?

    Would you plant poor land like blanket bog, for the sake of grants?


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    BarryD2 wrote:
    In France, Germany, Belgium etc., you see a different type of forest management. It's as if the forest is managed over decades and centuries even. They seem to thin and clear fell smaller plots at a time, so the overall effect is more like a patchwork. In Ireland, we seem to have more of a slash and burn type of management. A plantation is established, there is thinning but then the whole lot is often just cleared and replanted. This has a much greater impact on the landscape, environment and wildlife etc., and usually not a good one. Can the 'European' model be used in Ireland and/or why not?


    because the growth rates for comercial timber in ireland is much better than in Europe, in fact the fastest growing forests in Europe are in ireland


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    BarryD2 wrote:
    Would you plant conifers on poor land like blanket bog, for the sake of grants?


    no the Forest service will not allow planting on bogs as the trees will not thrive there


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  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    TheBully wrote:
    If you could only ever look at one species of tree for the rest of your days what would it be?


    Italian Alder is a lovely tree but the money is in spruce forests


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    ganmo wrote:
    has this years crazy weather had any impact on the forestry sector?


    newly established forest had a serious mortality rate with new saplings due to the extended drought and will have to be replaced this autumn


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    begbysback wrote:
    Are three trees really considered to be a forest?

    A forest can be as small as you like but I wouldn't consider it commercially viable though !


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    Mech1 wrote:
    Are Grey Squirrel numbers doing harm and would i get permission to hunt them with a air rifle?

    I personally hunt them with an air rifle your welcome to join me ! you can certainly lease the shooting rights on the land if there is no deer pressent they go for cheap !


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    siblers wrote:
    Is there enough being done to plant native Irish trees or to encourage the planting of native Irish trees? When driving up and down this country you see big forests that have been planted in recent years and they all seem to contain foreign types of tree


    there is a scheme called the native woodland establishment grant which grant aides there establishment but there is little scope of comercial timber coming from these woods in your lifetime, at the end of the day it is land owners who commit their land to forestry and by in large they will not do so if it does not make economic sense, the government would need to do more in this regard IMO


  • Registered Users Posts: 371 ✭✭pajosjunkbox


    Hi. I've planted about 1500 trees around my house in recent years. I plan to plant a few more trees this Autumn and replacing some of the ones I planted last year as they have died due to this summers weather. What trees would you recommend ? So far I have planted ..

    Scott's pine
    Silver birch
    Rowan
    Alder
    Larch
    Oak
    beech
    Whitethorn
    Holly


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,792 ✭✭✭✭Igotadose


    What risks due to global warming are there to our Irish forests? Pine bark borers or other insect pests? Increased likelihood of wildfires? What would you recommend for citizens to do to our small stands of trees to mitigate these risks?


  • Company Representative Posts: 53 Verified rep I'm a Forest Manager, AMA


    Hi. I've planted about 1500 trees around my house in recent years. I plan to plant a few more trees this Autumn and replacing some of the ones I planted last year as they have died due to this summers weather. What trees would you recommend ? So far I have planted ..

    some maple and sycamore might be a nice addition


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭august12


    Do you think there is any prospect of grant for second or subsequent plantations, is there much of a profit from one clearfell to replanting?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    How many acres would be needed to be a viable project?

    Is land that holds water good or bad?
    Obviously not bog but just say at bottoms of hills and just fields that aren't great for anything else.


This discussion has been closed.
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