FAO: Eastern Europe still facing challenges in forest management

May 25, 2006. /Lesprom Network/. While the rest of Europe is steadily progressing towards sustainable forest management, Eastern European countries are facing many challenges, following the restitution of forests from the state to their previous owners, FAO said at the European forestry commission meeting (23-26 May) in Zvolen, Slovakia. Many countries in Eastern Europe restructuring their economic and social systems from central planning to market-based systems have made huge progress in developing a private forestry sector and adapting their institutions. The state has returned forests to former owners or their heirs; changes have been made in policy and legislation for greater private-sector involvement in the forestry sector; and forest institutions, notably state forest services, are adapting to the market economy. As a result, the forest sector in Eastern Europe is benefiting from a general recovery. Production of forest products in Eastern Europe is growing and trade of forest products with Western Europe is increasing significantly. Many new forest owners are seeking new skills and resources to manage their forest in a sustainable way. However, their holdings are so small that many owners cannot afford professional advice. There is no established tradition of forest management, nor institutional advice and support. As a result, forest owners are often tempted to sell all the timber to the first buyer, and then abandon active and responsible management. "It is important for policymakers in these countries to identify ways and means to assist private small holdings with professional advice, to enable them to take advantage of expanding markets while maintaining forest quality," said Wulf Killmann, FAO director forest products and economics division.