News on forestry grants

Here's a subject I did my undergrad' dissertation on. The Irish Times covers this story as follows:

Increased grants for forestry planting were announced by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Mary Wallace.
The new Forest Environment Protection Scheme (FEPS) is part of the Rural Development Plan 2007-2013, which aims to diversify land use in the wake of reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Additional grants of up to €200 per hectare for tree planting will be available to farmers for five years. The scheme will operate on a one-year pilot basis and is only available to those participating in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS).
"Properly planned forestry is one of the most environmentally friendly end-uses to which we can put our land," Minister Wallace said.
She pointed out that while the FEPS would increase tree planting, the Afforestation Scheme, which aims to increase forest cover from its current level of 9 per cent of the State's land area to 17 per cent by the year 2035, would remain the principal incentive for Irish forestry.
"With the increasing evidence of climate change before us, with the need to find alternative fuels, with the demand for cleaner air and a better environment, it is more important than ever that we plant more forests," Ms Wallace said.
To qualify for a FEPS grant farmers will have to follow adhere environmental objectives such as biodiversity, habitats, species mix, environmental impact and visual considerations.