Seven pillars of forest governance in Austria SPFGA

Sustainable development can only be advanced sucsessfully through cross-sectoral integration and cooperation. The new Austrian government structure is a clear and effective response to this challenge. Forest sector needs to play a central role in achieving the sustainable development goals. Government recently established a new Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism with responsibility for agriculture and forestry, environment and water management, energy and climate protection, regional development and tourism. Forestry like other sectors of land use and environment do not operate in isolation, they are close interlinked. Forest circumstances vary strongly from region to region and country to country. There is no one fits all solutions for forest issues. The Seven Pillars may need to be adjusted to the very different situations. However, in their essence they are fundamental and independent. Seven pillars #1 A clear commitment to sustainable forest management, which is a legal obligation #2 A solid legal framework providing for protection and sustainable management of all forests through clear property rights and tenure rules #3 Effective institutions for law enforcement #4 Forest management is fast evolving, therefore research development, education and training are crucial success factors #5 A balanced system of financial instruments from utilization, investments, taxes, subsidies and PES need to work together #6 Stakeholder involvement in forest policy development and implementation as like the Austrian Forest Dialogue ensures a broad interlinkage to forest policy deliberations #7 A smart forest information system, based on indicators for sustainable forest management by regular monitoring and assessment is needed for possible adjustments of the governance system