Forests and Forestry in Bulgaria

1. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD Forests and Forestry in Bulgaria Annual conference of the Union of European Foresters

2. Forests and forestry in Bulgaria Total area of the forest land 4.1 million ha Forest cover 33 % Annual growth 14.1 million м3 Annual harvesting 7 million м3 Total timber volume 591 million м3

3. Forests and forestry in Bulgaria

4. Forests and forestry in Bulgaria

5. Distribution of forest area in EU Forest cover: EU – 31,1%, Bulgaria – 33% Total forest area: EU – 153,5 million ha, Bulgaria – 4,1 million ha

6. Annual timber harvesting in the EU Forests - percentage of the annual growth

7. Strengthsof the Bulgarian forestry • Rich experience inforest and game management, afforestation and erosion control • Foresters’ professional experience • Rich biodiversity

8. The Bulgarian lands and forests preserve: • Over 80 % of the protected flora species; • Over 60 % of endangered with extinction animalsin the country; • Significant non-timber forest resources – herbs, mushrooms, forests fruits etc. • Well known hunting traditions

9. Main issues • Uncompletedinstitutional reform; • Uncompletedprocess of amendments in the forestry legislation; • Limited management flexibility, due to the state budget financial scheme; • Insufficient public awareness and compassion to the problems in the forestry sector; • Limited participation of the private forest owners in the processes of forest protection;

10. Some of the challenges for the sustainable use of forests resources after 1989 : • Illegal cuttingsandthe increased anthropological activities; • Drought in the coniferous plantations and oak forests; • Forest fires - 147 000 ha (3.6%) of the total forest area were affected in the period 1999-2003; • After 1989 the afforestation works were reduced to 5 - 8 thousands ha per year, while the planned in the Forest Management plans were 10 thousands ha.

11. The National Forest Policy and Strategy Vision: “The Bulgarian forest is a national asset. The resources of the forest ecosystems retain their ecological, social and economic functions for improving the quality of life of people. Forests are professionally managed in a stable forest sector with broad public support and mutual respect and integration of the interests of all stakeholders.”

12. Strategic goals ECONOMICAL • To create economically viable forest sector, providing legal, economical, technological and organizational conditions in order to ensure optimal use of forest timber and recreational potential and preserving and improving their environmental functions • Development of effective and competitive forest industry

13. Strategic goals ECOLOGICAL • Increase the country’s forest area, to improve the forest sustainability and health. • Protection and restoration of biological and landscape diversity, integration of preservation goals into forestry practices, development of relevant in-situ” and “ex-situ” systems, protection and environmentally friendly forest management. SOCIAL • Increase the employment in the forestry sector as well as the social benefits from forests and the revenues for their owners, as management practices applied are based on the principles of respect of ownership, equal rights of the consumers and social justice.

14. Major priorities in forthcomingactivities • Increase the forest area and forest biomass for energy production • Erosion control • Biodiversity protection – NATURA 2000 • Implementation of the Forestry institutional reform • Enhance the forest protection

15. Forest management strategic goal • Improve the forest state and timber resources • Harmonization with general Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest management by: • Implementation of environmentally friendly silvicultural systems; • Forest restoration on deforested areas • Increase the forest sustainability, their productivity and carbon sequestration capacity.

16. The forestry activities nowadays are directed towards: • Increase the share of thinnings in young plantations and stands. • Accelerate the process ofcopies forests conversion into high-stem forests; • Application of forest management systems that help a mixed, heterogeneous forests to be formed. • Restoration of forest areas destroyed by forest fires, grazing, droughtand illegal cuttings; • Promotion of abandoned agricultural land afforestation;

17. The forestry activities today are directed towards: • Improvement of shelter belts condition. • Improvement of Forest management planning process in order to achieve multifunctional and sustainable forest management; • Biological and landscape diversity protection and restoration;

18. Major sylvicultural approaches in: FOREST REGENERATION -The natural regenartion and protection of the primary forests stands is a priority; - The main regeneration fellings are shelter-wood systems, as the share of long-term ones is increased; - Regeneration on small areas; - The clear cuts are limited; - Establishment of silvicultural systems in pure and mixed spruce, beech, Scots pine and fir forests, that help a mixed heterogeneous forests to be formed;

19. Major silvicultural systems used in: THINNINGS • They are implemented by selective approach and a special attention is given to thinnings without timber yield. • Thinnings cover 45-50 % of the total timber harvested volume

20. Main forest systems used in: Reconstruction of forests • Forestry activity by which the existing incompatibility between biological requirements of tree species and site conditions can be overcame • It is implemented by short-term change of tree species by clear cuts and afforestation. • Objective results assessment of the lifelong practice should be done.

21. Main forest systems used in: CONVERSION OF COPPICES FORESTS INTO HIGH-STEM FORESTS • Regeneration fellings with preliminary natural regeneration are applied with protection of the natural stand composition; • Selective thinnings are applied; • A specific approach is used in forestry planning, rotation periods determination and production goals.

22. Necessary changes of the legislation • Act for amendment of the Forests Act To provide potential for economic activities of State Forestry Units. • Act for amendment of the Act for hunting and game protection. To create potential for the establishment ofpublic-private partnerships in hunting management activities.

23. Thank you for your kind attention!