A call has been issued for a new forestry policy for Ireland following the publication of an all-of-Government Climate Action Plan last week.

This comes after forestry company Coillte introduced a new initiative, 'Coillte Nature', which will see nine commercial forests in the Dublin Mountains converted for recreational use and the protection of biodiversity.

The Green Party has welcomed the initiative and called for an extension across the country.

The party's spokesperson for forestry, Pippa Hackett said: "I would like to see this type of approach extended and integrated into the all-of-Government Climate Action Plan published earlier in the week. 

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"We need a new forestry policy for Ireland. Instead of short rotation monoculture crops we should be planting diverse 'continuous cover' forests which store carbon and promote biodiversity and soil and water management. Action 110 of the all-of-Government plan will look to develop a roadmap to a land-use plan for Ireland. This type of initiative should be part of a wider approach to forestry policy in this country and this is the opportunity to make it happen.

"Some of our forests, particularly in the northwest of Ireland, could be managed in this way in the form of a new National Park, by switching to a 'continuous cover' rather than 'clear felling' model of forestry and ensuring that locals benefit first from any woodland activity in the area.

"Trees are worth far more as part of a forest park as a recreational facility rather than being chopped down for lumber, and new research has shown that as little as a two-hour 'dose' of nature a week can have dramatic positive health outcomes. We need more projects like this to allow people to make the most of local woodlands."

(CM)