A STRATEGIC plan for the development of the forestry sector will be brought to Government in the next few weeks by the Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, it was announced yesterday.
Mr Jimmy Deenihan, Minister of State for Forestry, said the plan would provide a framework for the integrated development of the sector in its widest sense well into the next century.
He was speaking at the opening of the National Conference on Urban Forestry in Limerick.
The objective of forestry development, said Mr Deenihan was to maximise economic and social benefit.
Where possible, however, he wanted to see the means of creating such benefit extending beyond timber production.
"We want a positive rural development impact and we want environmental compatibility.
"We want greater diversity and we want benefit in the areas of recreation, leisure and sporting opportunity.
"We believe that the greatest possible number of people should be able to share in the benefits of our national forestry programme, including those who may not themselves be directly involved in forestry in its narrow sense.
The Minister added that the recently launched urban woodland scheme gave local authorities the opportunity to secure grants for such projects in or close to cities, towns and villages.
Over the next four years, about £4.5 million would be allocated to these schemes.