The KNOW-WOOD™ Board is outright winnerof the RDS Forestry Awards 1999

see pages 38 & 39

10th Anniversary

Just Forests

Just Forests

TAKING A LIVELIHOOD APPROACH TO THE JUST DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS-SINCE 1989

News

Just Forests records 10 years of development/education work in this

Special 10th Anniversary Publication

“The beam of sustainable resourceuse is shining across the worldfrom Tullamore”Prof. David Bellamy

Price £3

Winter 99/2000

9 771393 803004

01ISSN 1393-8037

Forests Cover 6/4/06 16:04 Page 2

The Forestry sector employs 16,000 people and thegovernment’s strategic plan “Growing for the Future”,aims to create 11,000 new forestry jobs by the year 2020.Some 9% of land in Ireland is currently under forest, wellbelow the European average of over 30%.

There are significant income earning opportunitiesavailable which make forestry a most lucrative enterprise.This is borne out by thefact that in the pastseven years well over100,000 hectares offorestry has beenplanted by about 12,000landowners. Forestry isimportant foragriculturediversification andfarmers now account forover 70% of allafforestation. This istestimony not only tothe earning potentialand benefits of forestryfor farmers but to itsimportance as anintegral part of ruraldevelopment. Forestryfits in well with otherfarming ventures andenables farmers tocontinue to live andwork on their land.

Forestry enhances bothurban and rurallandscapes forrecreation and tourismand contributes toemployment in thesesectors. The forestryprogramme takesaccount of thepreservation of historicand scenic landscapes.Strong environmental and planning controls and extensiveconsultation with local authorities, Bord Failte and otherinterests is a key element of the Forest Service approach.Awareness of forestry’s role in environmental enhancementand compatibility is a basic principle of our forestryprogramme. Our world is extremely delicate and fragileand interventions, no matter how seemingly innocuous,can impact on our environment. The way forward is tomaintain a balance between economic progress, socialadvancement and the world we live in.

Forestry has significant environmental benefits. It is aninteresting fact that one hectare of forestry can extractand absorb up to 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide from theatmosphere every year. Forestry also exercises abeneficial influence on global warming and climate.Environmental issues are becoming more complex; eventhe issue of sustainability has evolved from the idea ofsustained yield encompassing all the economic, social andenvironmental aspects of forestry development. Forestrydevelopment carried out on a basis which promotes

sustainability andharmony with ourenvironment, willmaximise itseconomic andsocialcontribution.

The practise andapplication offorestry itself hasbroadened inrecent years withincreasingemphasis ondiversity with astipulation thatafforestation inbroadleavedvarieties isincreased to 20%of the annual total,reflecting Irishtraditionalwoodland.Coupled with agrowing emphasison environmentalcompatibility andan awareness ofthe non-timberbenefits of forestrysuch asrecreational andamenity values,thesedevelopments arevitally important in

view of the planned acceleration of forestry planting inIreland.

The outlook for forestry is very encouraging and I willwork to ensure that the objectives of the Government’sPlan are met and that forestry will be a major contributorto the Irish Economy.

And finally I would like to wish Just Forests every successfor the future.

Significant Income Earning Opportunities in ForestryBy Hugh Byrne TD, Minister of State at the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.

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The Development Imperative

Development means increasing society'sability to meet human needs. Economicgrowth may be an important componentof development, but it cannot be a goal initself. The real aim must be to improvethe quality of human existence - toenable people to enjoy long, healthyand fulfiling lives. At present,for huge numbers of people, life is hard,insecure andunfulfiling.Where thesignificance of theenvironment is notunderstood,developmentwill fail.

The EarthIf the Earth were only a few feet in diameter, floating a few

feet above a field somewhere, people would come fromeverywhere to marvel at it. People would walk around itmarvelling at its big pools of water, its little pools and the

water flowing between. People would marvel at the bumps onit and the holes in it.They would marvel at the very thin layerof gas surrounding it ant the water suspended in the gas.Thepeople would marvel at all the creatures walking around the

surface of the ball and at the creatures in the water.Thepeople would declare it as sacred because it was the only one,and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt.The ballwould be the greatest wonder known, and people would cometo pray to it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty

and to wonder how it could be. People would love it anddefend it with their lives because they would somehow knowthat their lives would be nothing without it. If the Earth were

only a few feet in diameter.Joe Miller,American artist, Seattle, USA

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From nursery seedsto laboratory needs

A comprehensive range of services from Coillte

Newtownmountkennedy 01-2011111 Cork 021-964366 Galway 091-562129 Mullingar 044-42744 Kilkenny 056-21595 Limerick 061-337322 Sligo 071-62663 Nursery H.Q. 0503-55621

Coillte services cover every aspect of forestry, from supplying seeds and

plants to scientific analysis of soil characteristics - and just about

everything in between. So, whatever you need in forestry, call in the

complete professionals: Coillte.

Coillte Private Forestry ServicesWhen considering establishing a private forest look no further than the

experts. Coillte’s private forestry service offers you the peace of mind you’d

expect from dealing with true professionals. For nationwide servicecontact: Kevin Hutchinson at 0502 21617.

Coillte Forest NurseriesSpecialists in the production and supply of the highest quality conifer and

broadleaf plants. Our nursery unit also supplies home collected and

imported seed from the most suitable provenances. Contact nurserysales tel: 0503 55621 fax: 0503 55775.

Coillte Research LaboratoriesOur laboratory services provide a range of technical analysis of land

suitability, nutrients, fertiliser requirements, pest and disease control and

environmental impact. Contact Philip O’Dea at 01 2819493.

For general enquiries contact Coillte Corporate Headquarters at 01 6615666 or e-mail coilltepr@tinet.ie

Coillte congratulates just Forests on their good work over the past 10 yearsand wishes them all the best for the future

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