Forests for People

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future expectations, particularly: activating manage-

ment of private forests, transferring more responsibility

for sustainable forest management from the State to

forest owners, improvement of competitiveness of

the forest sector, maintenance and enhancement of

health and resilience of forests in conditions of climate

change, conservation of forest biodiversity with active

management and development as well as marketing of

ecosystem services and non-wood forest products. We

believe that these expectations can well be met follow-

ing the principles of close-to-nature forest management

and through the fostering of coordination and commu-

nication among forest owners, other sectors and groups

that have interests in forests, as well as most important

decision makers. The United Nations International Year

of Forests, 2011, with the theme Forests for People,

contributes excellently to improving the participation

of all those involved in meeting forest-related expecta-

tions of today and future.

offers consulting services and training to private forest owners

and controls the quality of activities in the forest if they have been

co-financed from the national budget. In particular, these activities

include silviculture and protective activities, as well as activities for

maintaining the habitat of wild animals in private-owned forests,

measures for the prevention of forest fires, building and maintaining

forest roads as well as the restoration of forests damaged by fires and

natural disturbances. Some of these activities are also co-financed

from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

Other provisions of the Forest Act regulate forest protection, silvi-

culture and exploitation of forests. Among them, there is also the

prohibition of clear cutting as a form of forest management. The

implementation of the Act is supervised by the Forestry Inspectorate.

It has so far not been identified whether the regulatory and institu-

tional framework requires any major changes to be able to continue

sustainable forest management in Slovenia. However, in the context

of the national budgetary restrictions as well as the EU, pan-

European and global forest-related commitments, forest policy in

Slovenia will have to find ways to better address challenges and fulfil

Biodiversity conservation is integrated in management decisions

Image: Lado Kutnar