Waterford forestry owners group makes its mark and welcomes national development

Members of the Waterford Forestry Owners Group are making their mark at national level and have welcomed steps to ensure the majority of forest owners achieve national certification.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Healy Rae has appointed Kathleen Lucy (IFO Certification Manager) to the board of the Forest Certification Scheme.

A spokesperson for the Waterford based group said a pathway has also been set out for the majority of forest owners, who are still not certified, to achieve such status.

"The certification Board (iPlan) has agreed to work with the two groups already involved in forest Certification," said the spokesperson for Waterford based group.

"IFO is one of these groups," he said.

"As members of the IFO we are happy with the progress, the initiative for certification is being driven by forest owners since 2018," he added

"The timber market requires 70 per cent to be certified, and we are also working on carbon credits, of which we are also advised certification will be part of the scheme," said the spokesperson.