(Forestry (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 445/2023).

The Forestry (Amendment) Regulations 2023 were introduced to further implement several EU directives related to forestry development. These regulations amend the Forestry Regulations 2017 in several ways. They require notices of application to be maintained on the land for at least five weeks and renewed if necessary. They also mandate the publication of determinations when an environmental impact assessment is not required, along with the main reasons and any proposed measures to avoid adverse environmental effects. Additionally, the regulations stipulate that appeals against such determinations must first be made to the Forestry Appeals Committee before seeking a review by the High Court. Finally, the regulations include provisions related to afforestation policies, greenhouse gas emissions, protection of high nature value farmland, conservation of protected bird species, and avoidance of habitat pollution outside European sites.