Sustainable forest management
The term sustainable forest management was coined by the Saxon mining administrator Hannß Carl von Carlowitz (1645-1714), who was worried that there might no longer be sufficient timber to supply the Saxon mines under his supervision.
Source: Inga Nielsen - Fotolia.com
He recommended felling only that amount of timber at a time as can regenerate through systematic reforestation – the basic idea of sustainability. More than 300 years ago Carlowitz thus formulated claims which today are still the subject of research and reflection: how we do handle the exhaustibility of natural resources. Today this is understood to be the triad of productive, protective and recreational function.
In the spotlight of sustainable forest management are topics such as adaptation of forests to climate change, preservation of natural, highly structured and species-rich forests as a natural resource, protection of forest ecosystems and enhanced development of the CO2 diminishing and energy potential of forests and timber.
On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture and the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, the BLE manages, technically and in terms of organization, measures within the forest climate fund promotion programme.
On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture, ptble also manages various research, development and demonstration projects.
