Anita Boros, Gyula Koi (eds): Sustainability and Law
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7. Questions of environmental law and environmental administrations (Anita Boros-Petra Stankovics)
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7.6. Forestry administration policy: international and European Union perspectives (Petra Stankovics)

7.6. Forestry administration policy: international and European Union perspectives (Petra Stankovics)

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Forests play a critical role in biodiversity conservation, providing habitats for 80% of terrestrial species. They also offer essential ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, soil and water protection, and livelihoods for millions of people.1 Forests are critical for global biodiversity, climate regulation, and human livelihoods. Effective forestry administration policies are essential for sustainable forest management (abbr. SFM). This scoping review examines international forestry administration policies, with particular focus on the European Union (abbr. EU). The study aims to identify key themes, policy frameworks, and gaps in technical and legal literature, thus contributing to a better understanding of global and regional forest governance.

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This scoping review follows the framework outlined by Arksey and O’Malley,2 which includes identifying the research question, selecting relevant studies, charting the data, and summarising the results. Academic databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, were searched using keywords like ‘forestry administration policy,’ ‘sustainable forest management,’ ‘EU forest strategy’ and ‘international forestry governance.’ Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed articles, policy papers, and reports published between 2000 and 2023.

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As regards the tasks of forestry administration, they can be divided into two main groups, one of which is to regulate forests as a type of land use of a cultivated area, and the other is to regulate forest management in the public interest. Administrative procedures in forestry management encompass a variety of tasks designed to ensure sustainable use, legal compliance, and proper allocation of forest resources. The specific tasks often vary depending on the legal framework and organisational structure of the state, but based on the paper of Rametsteiner and Simula3 the main administrative tasks include:

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  • Land Use Registers: This involves maintaining detailed records of land ownership, forest boundaries, and land use designations. These registers help ensure that forests are used according to their designated purpose, such as conservation, commercial use, or recreational purposes.
  • Forest Inventory and Mapping: The collection of data on forest resources, including species composition, tree density, biomass, and other relevant ecological variables.
  • Cadastral Surveys: Legal surveys to delineate land and forest boundaries, resolving disputes over land ownership and forest use rights.
  • Forest Exploitation Permits: Issuing licenses for logging, mining, or other extractive activities, which ensures that resource use is done in a regulated and sustainable way. This also includes monitoring and permitting projects aimed at increasing forest cover, which might include commercial plantations or government-led afforestation programmes.
  • Development and Approval of Plans: States typically require forest owners or concessionaires to develop forest management plans that align with national sustainability standards. These plans include details on how forests will be managed over time, specifying sustainable yield levels and reforestation plans.
  • Forest Monitoring: Ongoing monitoring of forest health, biodiversity, and the impacts of forestry activities. This often includes remote sensing and ground-based surveys. Ensuring compliance with forestry regulations, which could include inspections of logging sites, reforestation efforts, and the enforcement of environmental regulations.
  • Subsidies and Incentives for Conservation: Administering financial incentives for forest conservation, such as payments for ecosystem services (PES) or subsidies for sustainable forest management practices. Collecting revenue from forest users, including taxes, concession fees, and royalties on timber extraction or other forest resources.
  • Protected Area Designation and Management: Establishing and managing protected areas such as national parks, wildlife reserves, or biodiversity corridors to ensure forest conservation. Implementing measures for wildfire prevention, monitoring, and suppression, including issuing permits for controlled burns. Monitoring and managing forest health by controlling outbreaks of pests and diseases that could threaten forest ecosystems.
  • Forest Certification: Implementing forest certification schemes to verify that forest products are harvested in the approved authorised parcel.
 

7.6.1. International forestry administration policies

7.6.2. Forestry administration policy in the European Union

7.6.3. Case Study of Hungarian forest management and administration

7.6.4. Bibliography [Sources, references and further reading]

1 Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). (2020). Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020. (Rome:FAO).
2 Arksey, H., & O'Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19-32.
3 Rametsteiner, E., & Simula, M. (2003). Forest certification—an instrument to promote sustainable forest management? Journal of Environmental Management, 67(1), 87-98.
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