Austria’s forests

In order to be able to guarantee our country‘s security of supply, both with food and with wood products, in the future, comprehensive agriculture and forestry are needed. At the same time, however, these areas face numerous challenges, such as climate change, lack of rainfall, pest infestation and declining income. The Federal Government has therefore prepared a relief and investment package comprising the following measures.

The Forest Strategy serves as a guideline for short-, medium- and long-term forest policy in Austria. The manifold tasks harboured by forests are covered in seven specific fields of action and contain 49 strategic goals derived from a vision for Austrian forests as well as many specific forest-policy approaches.

The bark beetle calamities and the autumn storms of 2018 as well as the snow breakage in January created an unfavourable starting situation for further mass propagation of bark beetle. The Federal Forest Research Centre (BFW) strongly advises to salvage calamity wood in time, remove it from forests and make it unsuitable for breeding in order to help mitigate the situation.

The Forest Inventory of the Federal Research Centre for Forests (BFW) is the largest investigation and survey of its kind. With its key figures, it provides an important basis for domestic forest and environmental Policy.

Again and again weather-induced disasters and the mass reproduction of pests have led to rather sizeable economic damage and impairment of the forest functions.

Extreme weather conditions in past years have caused massive infestation with bark beetle in domestic forests. www.borkenkaefer.at continuously provides current information on the infestation Situation.

Austria’s forests are today a cultivated landscape- the product of centuries of human care and attention. In fact, virgin forests, or forests without any human intervention, are rare.

Natural forest reserves serve the investigation of forest development under conditions unaffected by human intervention and the development of a type of forest management which is close to nature.

Forests have unique impacts on the water balance

Global trade increases the risk of the spreading of insects or pathogens that are harmful to forests - and the requirements concerning packaging wood.

Forest plant protection comprises all measures protecting against the introduction and the spreading of harmful organisms on forest plants, plant products and, in particular, Wood.

Upon import into Austria, roundwood is subject to inspection.

Forestry is an integral part of rural development. The funding of sustainable and climate-friendly land use also comprises the development of forest areas and/or the sustainable management of forests.

The sharp rise in public interest in forests and all the effects that they yield has already been taken into consideration by the legislator by virtue of the 1975 Amendment of the Forest Act by the introduction of the regional planning of forests.

Forests in areas protected under nature and water conservation law.

The Forest Development Plan (WEP) is an expert opinion on the functions of the entire Austrian forest based on the forest Legislation.

Forest land-use planning reflects the diverse landscape in Austria.

The Technical Forestry Plan - a flexible forest planning Instrument!

The Austrian Forest Act of 1975 (“Forstgesetz 1975”) is the central source of forestry law.

There is no “Common Forest Policy” on EU level; forest policy is the competence of the Member States.