Wetland Surveys Ireland has approved ecologists on the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme administered by the Department of Agriculture. The ecologists role in the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme is to assess the suitability of sites and prepare appropriate restoration management plans in association with an approved forester.
The aim of the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme is to support the appropriate restoration of existing native woodlands and (where appropriate) the conversion of existing non-native forest to native woodland, in order to promote the restoration of Ireland’s native woodland resource and associated biodiversity.
The Scheme prioritises sites of high ecological significance (included ancient woodlands and designated areas such as Special Areas of Conservation) and also sites where native woodland restoration will 'deliver' benefits regarding the protection of watercourses and aquatic habitats.
Typical projects under the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme might include the restoration of existing native woodland (e.g. the removal of invasive species such as rhododendron, which can destroy native woodland ecosystems); the conversion of existing conifer forests to native woodland, particularly on sites beside sensitive watercourses, and the protection and management of existing 'scrub' to capitalise on its ecological value as emerging native woodland.
The Native Woodland Conservation Scheme operates in tandem with existing measures under the general Afforestation Scheme to support the creation of new native woodland, thereby providing an overall package of support for the restoration and expansion of Ireland's native woodland resource.