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Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill has
called on landowners to help increase woodland cover across
the north of Ireland by planting more trees.
The Minister was speaking after a visit to a woodland site
at Drumlamph Wood, Maghera, County Derry, which received support
from the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013.
Minister O’Neill said - “Woodlands are a natural home to
wildlife, plants and animals and provide many environmental,
social and recreational benefits, as well as producing fuel
wood or timber for construction. However, our local countryside
is one of the least wooded areas in Europe and we are keen
to address this. The Forestry Strategy aims to double woodland
cover and these projects highlight the good work being undertaken
by communities and farmers in support of this goal."
DARD provides support for the establishment of woodland cover
through the Woodland Grant Scheme and Farm Woodland Premium
Scheme. The Woodland Grant Scheme pays £2,400 per hectare
for broadleaved woodland and £1,600 per hectare for conifer
woodland.
For new farmer applicants and farmer applicants under the
current Farm Woodland Premium Scheme open since January 2007,
annual payment rates range from £60 up to £290 per hectare
(or £117 per acre) per year and compare favourably with current
conacre rates for grassland. They depend on the category of
land to be planted and whether it is inside or outside the
Less Favoured Areas (LFA), so check first before applying.
Funding is also available for the Short Rotation Coppice
Scheme and, already, farmers have created approximately 750
hectares of Short Rotation Coppice for an energy end use under
this scheme and its predecessor, the Short Rotation Coppice
Challenge Fund.
Those claiming Single Farm Payment (SFP) in 2008, can now
also plant their land and continue to claim SFP in addition
to their annual Farm Woodland Premium Scheme forestry payments.
Further information on forestry grant schemes and how to
apply are available on the RDP
website
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