Mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the EU Forest Action Plan
Final report
November 2009
This study, financed by the European Commission, was undertaken by the European Forest Institute in cooperation with the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, the Centre Tecnologic Forestal De Catalunya in Solsona and the University of Hamburg, Institute for World Forestry.
The study contains both an inventory of the implementation of the 18 Key Actions of the EU Forest Action Plan and an evaluation of its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency. It contains recommendations for the EU Forest Action Plan in the period until 2012.
The conclusions, recommendations and opinions presented in this report reflect the opinion of the consultants and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Commission.
Judgement on the quality of the evaluation report [pdf]
Shaping forest communication in the
European Union: public perceptions of
forests and forestry - Tender no. AGRI-2008-EVAL-10
Under the Framework Contract No. 30-CE-0101908/00-50
Final Report
Client: For more click on Papers page
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New material concerning national and EU law in regard to protecting trees and our environment, as well as practical care for trees in nurseries. Click here to Papers Page for more information
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WHERE'S MY TREE?
HEADLINE: What happened to the trees we were promised?
SUBHEAD: Bertie's 4m Millennium project derided as 'farce' as Coillte admits that only one in 10 will survive
BYLINE: Neil Michael
STORY DATE: 23/08/2009
TITLE: Ireland on Sunday
DATE: 23/08/2009
EDITION: 1ST
PAGE: 33
WHEN it was launched in a blaze of publicity in 1999 by then taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the People's Millennium Forests project seemed like a brilliant, even inspired idea.
Indeed, it seemed there were few better ways for forestry body Coillte to boost its profile and eco-friendly credentials.
Costing just over ¨4m, the project's aims were to 'rescue and restore' 16 woodlands in which 1.2 million trees would be planted with every household in the country receiving a certificate of ownership of each tree.
Anyone with that certificate was - at the time - encouraged to come and visit 'their' tree. It was a process that was supposed to have been aided with the simple use of specific markers and grid references. Last night, however, an audit into the project by the management committee set up to run it has noted that just 10pc of the trees planted will survive.
The report also attacks the public's 'confused' perception of what the whole project was about.
It wasn't about single trees - as Ahern had said it was all those years ago - but actually about 'forests'.
It bemoans the fact that significant information about it was omitted when it was launched - namely that few trees actually survive. Of the brochure that went to every household with a tree certificate, it states: 'Regrettably, there was no mention of the fact that (in) the process of becoming a mature native forest, natural selection will reduce the original number of trees planted to about a 10th of those planted.'
The authors also admit the destruction of the trees planted as part of the scheme is already under way 'in many cases' because other species of tree have sprung up 'at the expense of planted material'.
The report makes worrying reading for anyone still intent on finding their tree. This is because the process set up to aid people in their endeavours is actually falling apart.
The grids used to locate the trees are 'becoming irrelevant as the years pass,' the report says. The Millennium Forests own website claims 'you can go and see the woodland where your dedicated tree is growing', despite the fact that 90pc of the trees probably won't be there.
There is a new system that allows people to now only see 'the general location of their tree'.
In response to growing confusion, The Woodlands League has launched a Where's My Tree campaign.
The group is calling for an independent audit of the scheme by local communities, assisted by The Woodlands League and other conservationists.
Conservationist Andrew St Ledger said: 'If you want a shining example of forest mismanagement, you should look no further than Coillte.
'This Millennium Forests project was a farce from the start, not least because there is always going to be a percentage of trees that will never survive - no matter what you do.
'We also have reports of long established oak trees being uprooted to make way for oak saplings. 'The method Coillte employs is also questionable. They use bulldozers and JCBs in most cases instead of shovels and this leads to heavy compaction of the earth.
It is little won-dethat so many trees will die - never mind the natural selection process.
From what we have seen of a few of these forests, they are just wild, mismanaged and not at all the glorious gift to the nation that Bertie Ahern promised 10 years ago.'
He added: 'What is needed now is a full and independent audit.' The forests where these trees would be planted included Ballygannon and Shelton in Co. Wicklow and Rosturra and Derrygill in Co. Galway. Other are Muckross and Rossacroo in Co. Kerry, Derrygorry in Co. Monaghan and Lough Gill in Co Sligo. Mr Ahern had promised 'a lasting Millennium legacy that will be a source of enjoyment and inspiration for present and future generations well into this new Millennium'.
Now, it seems, we - the public - have got it all wrong.
The internal audit attacks how the project was promoted.
It states: 'There is a somewhat con-fusepublic perception of what the project has been trying to achieve.
Most public comment is about the tree rather than the forest.
'Households - who bother - are looking for their individual tree and this is impacting negatively upon how the public views this project.' The report acknowledges that on the original certificates, there was no mention of the fact that 'the tree is part of a forest'.
It recommends that from now on mention of 'Millennium Trees' should be changed to 'Millennium Forests' as 'this would help move attention from individual trees to the forest'.
Indeed, while certificates originally stated that the 'tree' would be planted in perpetuity, it was noted last night how a recently revamped section of the Coillte website blows a somewhat different trumpet.
The home page for the whole project now carries the following legend: 'Over 1,500 acres of native Irish woodland has been designed as 16 Millennium Forests dedicated in perpetuity to the people of Ireland'.
Last night, a Coillte spokeswoman insisted the project has been 'an overwhelming success'.
neil.michael@mailonsunday.ie
'A shining example of forest mismanagement'
'It's little wonder that so many trees die'
Press Release
Wheres my tree?
Amidst the general ballyhoo surrounding the new Millennium, Coillte, the semi state body set up in 1989 to look after the nation' s forests,announced the setting up of the grandiosely titled,"People's Millenium Forests"
Over 1.2 million households in Ireland, were sent a certificate, telling them the particular type of native Irish tree, (the seed gathered, we were told by Irish schoolchildren), being planted in their name, and its location, in one of 16 different chosen woodlands. The certificate alleged ownership "in perpetuity" to each person.
Less than two months ago, buried in the bowels of the McCarthy report, is a recommendation that Coillte be sold - lock stock and smoking barrel - to gain a few bob for the desperadoes in government.
This went virtually unnoticed and unreported on amidst the general meltdown, long predicted by anyone with more than two brain cells of the Irish "economy".
If Coillte is sold off this means a Russian oligarch, a Chinese resource hunter or an American pulp paper company, could own one and a half million acres of Irish forests, including mountains, lakes, rivers and some of the Europe's very last raised bogs. The hunting and fishing licenses that Coillte obtained from the old Land Commission estates will be sold as well, and all of these 1.2 million trees, so generously gifted, for ever and ever, to each and all of us.
What's going on?
Please help stop this latest fire sale of Ireland's environmental treasures and join the Where's My Tree Campaign?
Take action!
Contact Coillte by email at pr@coillte.ie and ask them where your tree is?
and when can you go visit it?
Contact your local elected representatives on this issue as well.
The potential buyers, who ever they may be are probably slavering at the thought of getting their hands on some of Ireland's most beautiful wild and ecologically fragile lands, but if you're there with your certificate and your tree - what can they do.
Coillte, and its paymaster the Minister for Finance, can't send us all the log factory. Can they?
Where's My Tree?
Write today and support the www.WoodlandLeague.org vision for genuine community native woodlands and a new forestry policy with the emphasis our native trees, for all of the known benefits.
To send us your message of support and any results and pictures of your tree hunt email wheresmytree@gmail.com
Ted Cooke and Andrew St.Ledger are involved in promoting native trees (tree lore, planting, crafts, history and general information on the benefits of native trees) through the ‘Heritage in Schools’ scheme which is administered through primary schools. Ted Cooke has been doing this for 21 years. Both are also engaged in widespread national events (e.g. Heritage Week, Biodiversity days, CELT – Centre for Environmental Living and Training - ‘Weekend in the Woods’, exhibitions of craft and carving at heritage events with Muintir na Coille – Coppice and Allied Trades Association of Ireland, etc). We aim to share resources and create relationships with other like-minded NGOs and we wish to promote the concept of ‘cooperation’ for which we use the analogy of the wooden barrel made by coopers to explain that each part of the barrel is weak on its own and only when it is in the hoop does it have strength. Agenda 21 promotes this idea of partnership and working together as opposed to competition which is the destructive order of today’s economic reality.
One of the members, Ted Cooke, pioneered the concept of ‘treestoration’ projects – one of which is in Broadford, Co.Limerick, in a one hectare quarry site which was left to the people of Broadford by Lord Muskerry of Springfield Castle in the 19th century. The quarry came to be used as a local dump and, as such, became heavily polluted. In the 1990s, local developers wished to build on the site but the community opposed this and exercised their rights via Agenda 21 and a plan created by Ted Cooke to convert the quarry into a native tree arboretum as an education resource for the local school, with the added benefit of the power of the trees to clean up the pollution. First a nursery was established in situ and gradually all twenty native species were groomed for planting on the site. This project became a milennium project and the first flora and fauna count was taken at the start of the project. This count came to 65 species. By 2004 the count had increased to over 400 species with a 15ft canopy. The project has been a huge success in restoring a degraded public space using nature.
The other project was in Omagh, Co.Tyrone, and Ted Cooke working as a consultant to the Northern Ireland Woodland Trust, designed a six-acre treestoration project including all twenty native species. This was a cross-community milennium project.
More detail:
Ireland simply cannot afford to sell the people’s forests.“Land is the source of all material wealth, from it we get everything we use, or value, whether it be food, clothing, fuel, shelter, metals, or precious stones. "The availability of land is the key to human existence and it’s distribution and use are of vital importance!" (Charles Brickdale, Chief land registrar of England and Wales 1900-1923) Hidden amongst the multiple layers of cutbacks proposed in the recent McCarthy report, is the outrageous suggestion that Coillte, the Irish Forestry Board and its assets which include one and a half million acres of public forests be privatised. The sale of these lands will mean no access for the public to the forest resource, largely created using EU public funds. The State has already sold our gas, oil, minerals, and fishing rights. The Woodland League is a not for profit NGO and we are vehemently opposed to this extremely short-sighted idea which panders only to narrow vested interests. This sale of one tenth of Ireland’s land mass may include the People’s Millennium Forests along with some of the most valuable remnants of Ireland’s native forests.
These native forests must be kept under public care due to their enormous value for the restoration of our devastated biodiversity (our natural wealth), as we move into an uncertain future. The rest of the forest estate for instance, could be leased to local communities who have been trained to manage them as a sustainable resource providing fuel security, charcoal, raw materials, food, herbs, income from local carbon lock-up among the many other proven benefits of sustainable forest management.The future economic systems will be dependant on the wise use and management of natural resources, The forests and it’s relationship to air, and water that form the one entity are precious vital commodities, that must remain in public ownership to enable the Island to sustain itself as we face into a major recession coupled with the problems associated with Climate Change. Coillte have neglected the forest resource in their care, focusing instead on being the largest land development company during the boom years. Very little of the 300 million euro profits they accumulated over twenty years was invested in the forests nor any dividend paid to the public purse as is the norm with other semi-state bodies. The Woodland League urge the public to contact their elected representatives, the media and trade unions to ensure this essential natural resource remains in public ownership. We have created an alternative pilot project proposal to sustainably manage our woodlands for the common good. (Please refer to the front page of our website, www.woodlandleague.org The long-term economic benefits of sustainably managed woodlands far outweighs any short-term financial advantage from the sale of this national asset. Relative to the enormity of the national debt, the revenue from this sale would represent a meagre pittance.
The Millennium Tree Certificates issued to every household in Ireland are a scam forced on the Millennium People's Forest project by the Millennium Committee for political spin.
Material released to Friends of the Irish Environment under the Freedom of Information Act from the Taoiseach's Department shows that the project as proposed by Coillte had no element of individual certificates for every household. The project was planned for the nation as a whole.
The Millennium Committee and Minister Breenan, however, insisted on the issuing of certificates as a condition of an additional £1 million in funding which Ray McSharry requested in September of 1999.
As late as March, 2000, Coillte continued to ask IS THERE ANOTHER WAY, suggesting that more than 60% of the certificates would be thrown out, that there would be difficulties in individuals finding their trees. Yet the minutes of a meeting on 23 March show that Minister Breenan informed Coillte that the certificates were an "absolute".
The scientific fact is that of the 1.2 million trees planted, only 5% will survive to maturity because of the thinning necessary in growing broadleaves. Broadleaves are planted at 3,500 to 6,000 stems per hectare to avoid the necessity of pruning and to force upright growth. In a series of thinnings over the years, the trees are progressively selected until there are between 250 and 350 final mature trees per hectare.
In order for the 1.2 million certificates to represent mature trees, more than 25 million would have to be planted. Instead of the proposed core woodland planting of 337 hectares, 6,000 hectares would be required.
As early as July 1999 Coillte warned "the danger of the project being ridiculed by scientists/environmentalists and greens alike "if the project did not stand up to scientific scrutiny. The project, which was intended to educate people about forestry, is instead being grossly misrepresented for quick political gain.
