Annual Report 2005 - The Heritage Council

Project. Several other monographs were in advanced draft
form by the end of the year. Research continued on the use of
orthorectification of aerial photographs for surveying purposes,
with some spectacular results. The Heritage Council was also
able to makes some additional funds available for the purchase of
major pieces of equipment, most importantly a terrestrial laser
scanner, which will add enormously to the technical capabilities
of the organisation. The Discovery Programme also extended its
policy - where spare capacity exists - of making such facilities
and related training available to third level institutions and other
archaeological research projects, particularly those being funded
or part-funded by the Heritage Council.
Woodlands of Ireland
Top Photo:
Images of a moated site built onto an earlier
earthwork in Co. Roscommon displaying an
example of the data being produced as part
of the Roscommon Aerial Survey using digital
photogrammetry.
Bottom Photo:
Jenkinstown Wood, Co. Kilkenny.
In 2005 the Heritage Council worked in partnership with The
Woodlands of Ireland through its participation on the Steering
and Technical Working Groups. Specific projects that are relevant
to the objectives of the Heritage Council that were addressed in
2005. These include support measures - for example woodland
management training courses – to underpin the implementation
of the Forest Service Native Woodland Scheme; the advancement
of the Forest Stewardship Council forest certification standard
via the Irish Forest Certification Initiative; and national woodland
policy initiatives. The latter included: submissions to the Forest
Service on the revamping of the 1946 Forestry Act, a submission
to the REPS section of the Department of Agriculture that
included proposals toward the sustainable management of native
woodlands on farms; and engagement with the National Roads
Authority in the development of ecologically-based guidelines on
the management of roadside verges. A number of publications
were also produced including Abstract and Conference Proceedings
for the Native Woodland Conference held in 2004, and guidelines
on wood production and conservation management within the
context of the Native Woodland Scheme.
18 T h e H e r i t a g e C o u n c i l