The strategic plan for the forestry sector, details of which were given by the Irish Forest Industry Chain (IFIC) yesterday, could hardly be more ambitious: the intention is to double the level of afforestation to 16 per cent of the total land area within twenty years and to bring the industry closer to the heart of the economy. The industry itself envisages an annual turnover of £1 billion by the year 2015 - a five fold increase on current levels. The forestry industry is now estimated to employ some 12,000 people, but the potential for further growth has long been recognised.
The Government will seek to harness this potential when it finally publishes the strategic plan next month. There is much work to be done: the level of afforestation in the Republic is still some distance behind the European average, where some 34 per cent of land is under forest.
This is hardly surprising: the forestry sector has not always enjoyed parity of esteem within the farming world. The traditional view, that forestry was a worthwhile option only on marginal or boggy land has been difficult to shift: indeed, one former Taoiseach advised during his term of office that "good" agricultural land should not be used for forestry. Many farmers, and perhaps many of those who frame official policy, appear to share this view. The case for forestry in its own right, the argument for a good forestry project on good quality land, has not always been appreciated.
The forestry industry also has much work to do if it is to build public support. Insufficient regard has been paid towards achieving the correct balance between commercial and environmental priorities. But the bitter controversy stirred by the proposed Masonite wood processing plant in Co Leitrim underlines the importance of environmental considerations. To its credit, the IFIC had identified the importance of environmental compatibility in the development of the industry and committed itself to a balanced approach. Few would dissent from its view that forests must be carefully located and planned and managed at all times with due regard to environmental considerations.
The strategic plan will need to address the environmental issue but it should also highlight the potential for our tourist industry of a well managed forestry sector. The recreation, leisure and sporting opportunities provided by forestry development have scarcely been appreciated, let alone exploited. But the tourist potential of the industry must be developed if the industry is to achieve its target of creating 12,000 additional jobs in the next decade. The publication of the strategic plan will, at the very least, provoke discussion on the future of all of these issues and help focus attention on an industry that remains under developed and undervalued. The hope must be that it will provide for the integrated development of the sector over the next twenty years or more while maximising the social and economic benefits of forestry.