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Austria’s forests – from regulations
to cooperation and partnerships
Ingwald Gschwandtl, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management,
National and International Forest Policy and Forest Information, Austria
S
ome 150 years ago, Austria and the surrounding region was
struck by massive deforestation and forest degradation. As
a consequence, people suffered from floods, soil erosion and
diminishing wood supply. This led to the first Austrian forest
legislation in 1852, which established tenure rights on forests and
introduced the obligation to manage forests sustainably.
Today, Austria is a highly developed country with forest cover of
close to 50 per cent, a very productive and internationally competi-
tive forest industry, and an environment and landscape attractive to
tourists from all over the world.
People have always been of central concern to forest policy in
Austria. The current Austrian Forest Act defines sustainable forest
management in accordance with the provisions of the Ministerial
Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe. This requires
an approach that secures the long-term economic, environmen-
tal and social dimensions of forests comprehensively and in a
balanced manner.
Despite the fact that 80 per cent of Austria’s forests
are privately owned, mostly by small holders connected
to farms, with the economic utilization of wood as a raw
material providing income and livelihoods for forest
farmers, all forests are freely accessible to the public
for recreation purposes. Forest owners are obliged to
manage their forests in a way that also supports a wide
range of public values, such as protective and environ-
mental functions.
There are high expectations of forests in Austria.
They are expected to sustain livelihoods, host biodi-
versity, help stabilize the climate, provide sustainable
materials and renewable energy, contribute to green-
ing the economy, protect soils and water, and prevent
floods, erosion and avalanches.
A solid legal and institutional framework is the basis
for ensuring the multifunctionality of our forests. Forest
law enforcement, research and education as well as
Forests provide landscapes that attract tourists from all over the world
Image: Beda Sylvester Widmer