What are simplified forest management plans?

 

Simplified forest management plans are drawn up for land that is not owned by the State Treasury, but belongs to individual owners or land communities, municipal forests and legal persons. A simplified forest management plan covers forests listed in the land and building register as "Ls", as well as land designated for afforestation in the spatial development plan.

The district administrator commissions and finances the preparation of simplified forest management plans for forests that are not owned by the State Treasury and belong to natural persons or land communities. Simplified forest management plans for forests belonging to legal persons, e.g. companies or associations, or to municipalities. These entities finance the preparation of the relevant plans themselves.

The district administrator selects, through a tender procedure, a management unit to draw up a draft simplified plan. The draft should be prepared taking into account the requirement for an opinion from the owner and the relevant forest district manager of the State Forest National Forest Holding, and taking into account consultations on the simplified plan with the local community and other stakeholders.

Before proceeding with the simplified forest management plans procurement process, the contracting authority submits a request to the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection for exemption from the obligation to prepare an environmental impact assessment. In the event of a negative response, the contracting authority shall provide the contractor with the scope of the assessment as determined by the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection. The contracting authority shall also provide information on protected areas, protection categories and additional information on nature conservation, after prior consultation with the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection competent for the area.

The client provides the contractor with a list of registered plots and land for which a simplified forest management plan will be drawn up, along with their area, registration data and previous management documentation.

As part of the inventory work, the contractor preparing the plan shall determine the boundaries of forest divisions (subdivisions), describe the forest valuation, measure the valuation elements and determine the economic indications for the divisions. The simplified forest management plans should also include information on protected areas, protection categories and additional information on nature conservation.

In the case of simplified forest management plans prepared with forest fund subsidies, the results of the field work included in the project are subject to mandatory field inspection with the participation of representatives of the district, the contractor and the relevant territorial units of the State Forests – the forest district and the regional forest directorate.

The simplified forest management plans document consists of the following parts:

• general description,
• forest assessment descriptions,
• a list of management tasks planned for 10 years,
• list of non-forested areas,
• register of forest plots and economic guidelines for forest management,
• list of changes to forest plots in relation to the land register (records),
• list of owners and index of plots (optional),
• list of abbreviations and symbols and a glossary of basic forestry terms,
• economic map of the forest and land designated for afforestation,
• forest management tasks for forest owners.

The draft plan is subject to review by the competent forest district manager. Within 30 days of receiving the draft simplified forest management plan, the forest district manager may raise objections. If this deadline expires, it is assumed that the forest district manager has no objections.

The district administrator, after obtaining the opinion of the competent forest district manager, approves the simplified forest management plan. During the period of validity of the simplified forest management plans, the district administrator supervises the implementation of the approved simplified forest management plans.

The text was prepared on the basis of:

1. Order No. 37 of the Director General of State Forests of 26 June 2020 on the allocation of funds related to the forest fund for the preparation of simplified forest management plans.
2. Forest Act Journal of Laws 2024.0.530, i.e. - Act of 28 September 1991, Art. 22. Approval of the forest management plan

List of county offices preparing simplified forest management plans with subsidies from the forest fund: