Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Union of European Foresters

Sustainable forest management Under various types of ownership FRANCE

Governing Council Meeting 2014 – Bulgaria – Nessebar

Hervé Némoz-Rajot & François-Xavier Nicot

10th October 2014

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GCM 2014Nessebar - Bulgaria

Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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The French forest

Third forest in Europe (behind Sweden and Finland)

•15,3 billion hectares• Three types of ownership

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12%

19%69%

State forest

Municipal forest

Private forest

Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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The French forest law (since 1669)

The Forest code organizes different types of interventions according to the ownership

•For every kind of owernship, Forest code establishes some principles:

• Forests are placed under the protection of the Nation.• The development and the protection of forest, as well as the

reforestation, have a general interest• The French forest policy has for objective the sustainable

forest management

•In the Forest code, the sustainable management is guaranted

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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State forests

State forests are managed by National Forest Office (ONF)

•Sustainable managed is compulsory• To develop sustainable management, forest managers have

to:• Draft an action plan, named « Aménagement »• For 20 years• With a programme of works and timber cuts• Actions for the public welcoming, biodiversity

conservation, …• This document represents a sustainable management

guarantee•Each state forest is PEFC certified (100%)

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Municipalities forests

Municipalities forests are managed too by National Forest Office (ONF)

•Same rules for municipalities forests and state forests• Established by the law

•Sustainable managed is compulsory• To develop sustainable management, forest managers have

to• Draft an action plan, named « Aménagement »• For 20 years• With a programme of works and timber cuts• Actions for the public welcoming, biodiversity

conservation, …• This document represents a sustainable management

guarantee•80% of municipalities forests are PEFC certified

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Private forests

Private forests are managed by the 3,5 billion owners of 11 billion hectares

•With the help of forest experts and

•the CNPF (National Private Forest Centre)

•Established by the forest law since 1963

•18 Regional Centres: 662 forest technicians

•Sustainable managed is compulsory in private forest

To develop sustainable management, private forest owners have 3 solutions:

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Private forests

• First solution, obligatory only for 25 ha and more private forests

• Draft an action plan, named « Plan Simple de Gestion»

(Simplified Forest Management Plan)• For 20 years• With a programme of works and timber cuts• Actions for the public welcoming, biodiversity

conservation, …

• This document represents a sustainable management guarantee

•33.000 private forests (more than 25 ha) have this sustainable management document = 3,4 billion ha

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Private forests

• Second solution, only for less than 25 ha private forests:• To adopt an already regional action plan, decided bu

State, named « Règlement type de gestion» (Standard Management Regulation)

• For minimum 10 years• With a programme of works and timber cuts• Actions for the public welcoming, biodiversity conservation, …

• This document represents a sustainable management guarantee

•A lot of private forests have this sustainable management document

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Private forests

• Third solution, only for small forets less than 25 ha private forests:

• To adopt an already regional management document, decided by State, named « Code des bonnes pratiques sylvicoles » (Code of good sylvicultural practices)

• For 10 years• With some commitments from the omner about works

and timber cuts, actions for the public welcoming, biodiversity conservation and Natura 2000 zones respect …

• This document represents a sustainable management presumption

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Private forests

• Only if you have one of the 3 documents, with an agreement gave by the CRPF, the private owner can benefit from:

• State financial grants and loans

• State and local taxes discount

• PEFC certification

• French law decided not to impose but to suggest, with some financial incentives.

• Every private owner want to be free• 1804: French Civilian code «  everybody is free to use is

ownership in the most absolute way »

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Sustainable forest management under various types of ownership - France GCM 2014

Nessebar - Bulgaria

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Conclusion

• Sorry for the complexity!• It’s a little bit French ;-)

• But, it’s working in a good way

• All the French public forests are managed in a sustainable way and PEFC certified

• 80% of the private forest are also managed in a sustainable way

Thank you for your attention and now, your questions!

• благодаря!12