Forests for People

[

] 180

New National Forest Programme

In 2002 the Government developed and adopted a new national

forest programme.

The main objective was to promote the principles for sustain-

able forest management, with due consideration for economic,

ecological and social values and needs. The programme included

a package of voluntary operational level guidelines for sustain-

able forest management in Denmark. It was developed through a

transparent and consensus-based process of broad involvement of

stakeholders.

Key objectives included (but were not limited to) the promotion of:

• Conversion to close-to-nature forest management principles

• Development of viable economic framework conditions for

forestry

• Opportunities for recreation and nature experience in the forests

• Afforestation aiming for 20-25 per cent coverage of forest

landscapes in the course of 80-100 years

• Effective information sharing and improved access to knowledge

• International cooperation in support of SFM.

Key instruments to promote and ensure the implementation of the

programme included:

• Adaptation of new legislation, including a new national Forest Act

in 2004 (establishing promotion of SFM as the key objective)

• Dialogue and stakeholder involvement

• Research and development

• Awareness raising, dissemination of information and training

• Economic incentives, including grants schemes

• Further engagement in international cooperation related to forests

• Special obligations and action plans supporting SFM in state

forests (including an action plan on ‘close-to-nature forestry’ as

well as certification of all Danish State Forests, against both FSC

and PEFC standards).

State of play and future challenges

Although still applicable and relevant for many

of today’s activities, the Danish National Forest

Programme might not sufficiently cover all relevant

challenges for sustainable forest management in 2011.

New and emerging focus areas that have gained in

importance include:

• Utilization of the forests for different recreational

purposes and for nature experiences (many and

sometimes conflicting types)

• Enhanced focus on the role of forests in a green

economy

• New demands for forest products, not least

wood for renewable energy, which provides both

opportunities and challenges (where lessons from

the past will be kept in mind)

• Protection of nature sites with high conservation

value (‘Natura 2000’ areas), where new

legislation and new measures are currently being

implemented

• Increased focus on demand-side measures as a

means to promote legal and sustainable forest

management, including implementation of new EU

regulation on forest law enforcement, governance

and trade as well as the promotion of voluntary

guidelines for public procurement of legal and

sustainable timber

• New developments in the international cooperation

related to forests, including on REDD+ and LULUCF

and not least the very recent Oslo ministerial

mandate for negotiating a legally binding agreement

on forests in Europe.

In 2010, the former Danish Government estab-

lished an advisory board with a broad composition

of members, representing a number of different

stakeholder groups. The board got the mandate to

provide recommendations for a future forest policy in

Denmark. It finalized its work in 2011 by delivering a

report with more than 40 concrete recommendations.

Since the report was launched, a new government has

taken office in Denmark following a general election in

September 2011. At the time of writing, no decision on

the report and the recommendations from the board

has been taken.

Nowadays many Danish landscapes are characterized by a mixture of dune plantations

and heather, like here in the Danish National Park at Fanø, an island west of Jutland

Denmark: facts and figures

• Population: 5.5 million

• Land area: 4,239,000 hectares

• Forest area: 587,000 hectares (14 per cent)

• Net annual change rate (2005-2010): +1.25 per cent

• Growing stock: 113 million m

• Net annual increment: 5.8 million m

• Annual fellings: 2.4 million m

• Privately owned forests: 69 per cent

• Contribution of forestry to GVA: 0.1 per cent

• Contribution of manufacturing of wood and articles in

wood (in per cent of total GVA): 0.4 per cent

Source: State of Europe’s Forests 2011