Two different options will be available to applicants:
- NTA 1 – Creation of Small Native Forests
- NTA 2 – Creation of Native Forests for Water Protection
The extent of the area that can be created under this scheme is limited to two hectares per farm holding for the duration of the scheme, and both farmers and non-farmers may avail of support under the scheme. Support will take the form of an establishment grant and annual premium payments over a 10-year period, totalling €22,060 per hectare for NTA 1 and €22,840 per hectare for NTA 2.
A scheme eligibility map has been prepared, detailing the location of approximately 3.1 million hectares of land that will be eligible to join the scheme. Not all agricultural land was deemed to be eligible for the NTA scheme due to the land not being suited to native forest establishment (such as areas at high elevation) or the presence of environmental sensitivities (such as NATURA 2000 designated areas).
The minister stated: “If someone who is interested in the Native Tree Area Scheme finds that their land isn’t eligible for tree planting without a licence, I would encourage them to talk to Teagasc or their registered forester about the options that are open to them through the Forestry Programme under the normal licensing process.”
“This scheme has been designed to have a straightforward approval process, which means that it is now open for new native forests to be planted before the end of 2023 under this scheme.”