FARMERS HAVE BEEN declared as socially responsible in forestry expansion, yet forestry prominently remains a loaded concept in Ireland. It’s economically, politically and socially tortuous in a country struggling to increase its national forest cover.

With farming deeply embedded into communities and simultaneously serving as an economic power, it’s no surprise forestry integration would be seen as a threat.

Driving planting efforts for over 40 years, farmers have contributed 4% to the current national forest cover of roughly 11.7%. So, what’s keeping farmers from planting native woodland?

Introduced in 2001, the Native Woodland Scheme (NWS) – now called the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme – was released by the Department of Agriculture, Fishery and the Marine when under 2% of native woodland remained in Ireland. Funding is provided to participants who plant from a wide selection of native species (alder, arbutus, ash, aspen, birch, hawthorne, hazel, holly, oak, Scots pine, willow, yew; to name a few) while meeting specific parameters for preserving and protecting biodiversity and ecosystems.

Compared with other forestry schemes, the NWS is unique because of its strong environmental focus and intention of restoring native woodland cover. Its regulations are strict with controversial conditions including the prohibition of clear-felling, eliminating the opportunity for timber production. Native tree planting also doesn’t provide immediate gratification – planters won’t see full results for 20 to 50 years depending on what type of native tree species are planted, making it difficult to envision positive effects.

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Historically, forestry has competed with agriculture production – a sector remaining of........

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