FORESTRY officials in Northern Ireland have moved to reassure industry figures that grant funding will be in place ahead of the new planting season. 

Forest Service bosses say they are currently securing the "necessary financial approvals" to enable grant schemes to open later this year, while it's understood the country's Woodland Improvement Grant (for replanting) was recently terminated. 

It comes after one high-profile forestry leader accused ministers of leaving the sector "in limbo" and "facing an uncertain future". 

Speaking to Agriland, John Hetherington, managing director of Premier Woodlands, said: “The private forestry sector is now left in limbo, not knowing what the future holds.

"We were aware of the uncertainty that had been associated with the future of the  Forestry Expansion Scheme (FES) and the Small Woodland Grant Scheme (SWGS) measures.

“But the very recent decision to terminate the replanting grant is probably the biggest blow of all, certainly in the short-term.”

Northern Ireland has the lowest levels of forest and woodland cover in Europe. The figure stands at around 8 per cent of the available land area.

According to Forest Research's most recent planting figures, woodland creation rates in the country fell for a second year running, down to just 430 hectares. More worryingly for some, the nation put just 41 ha of commercially-focused species in the ground during the 2023/24 planting season. 

James Hamilton Stubber, Northern Irish chair of industry body Confor, said. "Within these figures the situation for productive conifers at 41 hectares is even more serious. Confor is actively engaging with the Forest Service of Northern Ireland to find ways of redressing this decline in planting levels.”

A Forest Service spokesperson said: "The application window for DAERA’s Forestry Grant Schemes to support tree planting in new woodlands and the re-establishment of felled areas in the 2024 planting season closed in September 2023, similar to previous years. 

"Forest Service is working through the processes, including securing the necessary financial approvals, to enable grant schemes to be promoted later in the year. 

"Forest Service met with representatives of the sector on two occasions this year, most recently in May, to provide them with an update on the position and is currently arranging to meet them again in August to provide further assurance on timescales."