Coillte’s Forest Estate Strategic Land-Use Plan (FESLUP)
In April 2022 Coillte launched a new and ambitious strategic vision for our future forest estate, which aims to sustainably balance and deliver the multiple benefits of Ireland’s state forests across four strategic pillars: climate, nature, wood and people. Following consultation on our strategic vision, feedback was considered and incorporated into the design of a more detailed draft Forest Estate Strategic Land Use Plan.
The public consultation phase of Coillte's draft Forest Estate Strategic Land-Use Plan (FESLUP) is now closed and Coillte would like to thank those who made submissions to the draft plan.
A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was undertaken on the draft Forest Estate Strategic Land Use Plan. The SEA process, through formal consultation and engagement, facilitated further stakeholder feedback to be considered and used to inform the development of this final Forest Estate Strategic Land Use Plan. This Plan is firmly grounded in scientific principles and aims to sustainably balance and deliver the multiple benefits of Ireland’s state forests.
Coillte’s ambition is to create new forests and effectively manage our existing forests for greater carbon capture and provide more habitats to enhance biodiversity. We will support the creation of new homes by delivering sustainable Irish wood products and also aim to increase the number of beautiful forest recreation spaces for everyone to enjoy.
A copy of the Final FESLUP, and associated reports may be found at the links below:
Link to: Coillte's FESLUP Report
Link to: Appropriate Assessment Determination Statement
Link to: Consultation Response Report
Link to: FESLUP Strategic Environmental Assessment Statement
Link to: FESLUP Strategic Environmental Assessment Report
Link to: FESLUP Post Consultation Screening for Appropriate Assessment and Natura Impact Statement
Report on Carbon Modelling of the Coillte Estate
Report on Carbon Modelling of the Coillte Estate
Why did we prepare this report?
There is a growing demand on our forests to provide more, particularly in relation to helping tackle the climate and biodiversity challenges, in providing important health and wellness spaces for people, as well as providing sustainable wood products to help address our housing demands.
The climate emergency is recognised as the greatest challenge we face as a society. There is an urgent need for Ireland to meet stretching climate action targets and the Irish forestry sector and Coillte have an important role to play in the achievement of these targets.
Understanding climate and the climate change mitigation potential of our forests is highly complex. This report details the assessment undertaken to determine the current Greenhouse Gas (GHG) profile of Coillte’s existing forest estate and to identify and assess the GHG mitigation potential of silvicultural management options of the existing managed forest estate based on a number of assumptions set out in the report.
What does the study consider?
This study characterises the future Greenhouse Gas (GHG) profile of the Coillte forest estate under a “business-as-usual” scenario and identifies and assesses management options to improve the CO2 capture potential of the forest estate under a “New Forestry Model” scenario. The options considered include extension of rotation ages, increased ““no-thin”” management and, on peatland forests; rewetting (bog restoration), rewilding or replanting where appropriate.
What are the outcomes of the study?
The GHG profile for the business-as-usual scenario shows a consistent decline in removals and a transition to net emissions by 2045. In comparison, the New Forestry Model, except for the period 2050 to 2053 where is becomes a small emitter, remains a net remover until 2060. The New Forestry Model provides total removals of ca. 10MT up to 2050 and represents an overall emission reduction saving of ca.19 MT CO2 over the period 2021 to 2100 when compared to the business-as-usual scenario.
This report was limited because it used a defined system boundary that does not consider the importation of timber from potentially unsustainable sources or the substitution of fossil-based materials to replace lost timber flows, nor does it consider the carbon sequestration and climate mitigation potential of afforestation. The report highlights the need for further research, analysis, and pilot studies to enable a better understanding of the climate change mitigation potential of our forests.
Fossil Displacement and Value Chain Emissions Related to Primary Wood Based Products in Ireland; Peter Holmgren 2021
This report undertakes an analysis to assess how the global climate is impacted by the domestic forest-based sector (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). Scenarios were then examined to determine the relative magnitude of different climate actions on the daily operations of the sector based on the effects of changes in production levels and efficiency.
Forest Birds Reports
Review of forest management mitigation measures for hen harrier and merlin
Coillte Forests for Nature Information Booklet