Actions related to objective 4f.2

Full text of the objective 4f.2 "Promote nature-oriented forestry that provides a guarantee of sustainable forest management, including forest conservation" from the National Strategy

Flanders:

Flemish Forest decree , ‘Forestry Action Plan' : The Flemish Forest Service supports the principles of Pro Silva Flanders as a means, together with the principle of multifunctional forestry, to obtain a sustainable forestry.

• Promotion and granting of FSC-label to forest;
• Publication of criteria for sustainabel forest management and technical/financial support for the implementation these criteria by private forest owners;

• MR277

Brussels:

Management plan of the Sonian Forest . All public forests of the Brussels Capital Region are Natura 2000 sites.

• Management plans are elaborated to integrate Natura 2000 objectifs for biodiversity.

Walloon Region:

Many tools are available to improve sustainable forest management:

• The "Circulaire relative aux aménagements dans les forêts soumises au régime forestier" is a normative tool for the management planning in public forests (255.000 ha in Wallonia). At this stage, about half of the forest area is covered by new plans following this circulaire. The other half should be covered in the next 3 years.
• A new tool is just published: "Normes de gestion pour la préservation de la biodiversité forestière en Wallonie", with the aim of improving the biodiversity consideration in the forestry practices. Clear target are included for the forest protected areas. . These guidelines aim at developing an ecological network in forest areas and at defining benchmarks for forest management in the different zones of the network.
• The forest law (Code forestier) is under revision, with a view to improve sustainable forest management; this include financial incentives like an adaptation of the inheritance rigths for private owners, legal constraints both for public and private owners concerning for example clear-cutt or species choice.
• The Regional Forest Inventory is the main monitoring tool of the forest policy. It includes an improved set of SFM indicators, following the Paneuropean criteria and indicators.
• Financial incentives are available both for public and private owners, with multifunctional objectives, like the improvment of the trees diversity, special emphasis to the broadleaves and s.o.
• Several experiences have been initiated for Close to Nature Forestry, in the framework of Pro Sylva, both for broadleaves and conifers.
• About 150.000 ha of forests are included in Natura 2000 areas. Management contracts will be concluded between the authorities and the owners, to implement the objectives of each site; financial compensations should be adopted when constraints lead to a loss of income.

Future actions:

• Put greater emphasis on close-to-nature forest-management practices;
• Promote the development of a representative network of protected forest areas (see objective 3.1.);
• Give a promotion of nature-oriented forestry based on a better knowledge of its economic benefits (for instance, through innovative research) and a better illustration of its advantages for biodiversity (for instance through demonstration areas). It should be promoted for the private forest owners too;
• Enhance positive incentives to promote sustainable forestry (like subsidies for afforestation of farmland and pilot projects in Flanders and sustainable forest management (SFM) criteria in Wallonia.

Améliorer l'équilibre entre forêt et grand gibier