Forest management, ecosystem, resilience

The objectives of the plan are:
- Increase the number of employments related to forest activity.
- Improve the incomes of the working people in the forest sector.
- Improve life conditions of rural area residents linked to forest activity.
- Increase the number of ordered and managed forest holdings.
- Increase the size of the forest property and attain economically efficient surfaces for a sustainable forest management.
- Contribute to a rise in the added value of forest products.
- Increase the demand for forest products.

In progress

From the study of the collected information and as a consequence of a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis, 85 specific measures or actions have been defined (identifying at the end of each one of them the organisations implied in the execution of the same).
Because of their relevance, regarding the consecution of the objectives of the Plan, those measures that contribute to these four fundamental axes have to be prioritised:
- Compromise a minimum of the FEADER schedule to forest measures and define them in a useful way for the achievement of the objectives of the Plan for Socioeconomic Activation of the Forest Sector.
- Support the energetic valuation of biomass.
- Support associativism and producer organisations for the mobilisation of forest products.
- Support transformation, differentiation and diversification of use of forest resources.

1. Forest modeling and management diagrams 2. Development of tools to improve the quality of wood 2.1. Use of acoustic techniques for the valorization of wood 2.2. Establishment of quality standards 3. Update of volume equations (model trees) by laser 4. Incorporation of aerial laser in the valuation of forest use 5. Improvement and standardization of the techniques of signaling and characterization of the uses In progress (Expected results) The general objectives of this project are: - To analyze the factors that determine the quality of standing timber. -To obtain practical management standards that allow forest managers to manage their forest based on forest quality. - To create standardization tools validated by the industry in terms of performance and final product quality.

The operational group was created to find a demonstration action to promote secondary hardwood species of high ecological value in the ES5110011 area of the Natura 2000 Network. At present, hardwood harvesting is practically limited to obtaining products with little or no added value, such as firewood or biofuels in general. This is the reason why the profitability of the uses is very compromised.

According to the analysis carried out, it is considered convenient to perform the following demonstrative actions:
- To manufacture a children's playground of wood of local origin and free of chemical treatments.
- Implement new wood grading systems as is done in other European countries.
- Articulate the different agents along the production chain
- Demonstrate that quality products can be made from locally sourced wood

Improving the profitability of timber harvesting by diversifying the products obtained. As a result, the aim is to guide forestry exploitation to obtain quality products, enter into the distribution chain of local and specialized markets, establish a more efficient logistic distribution process and extend the time needed to capture atmospheric carbon by using wood for uses with a longer service life than bioenergy.

The forestry activity in Castilla y León is one of the most important in the forest Spanish context in terms of size and balance between the different agents and aspects of the value chain, in terms of productive area, production and productive potential, and variety and type of products. The globalization and duration of the economic crisis, affected the decrease of resources, this raised business difficulties and changes in the current management model. The programme was proposed as an instrument to stimulate economic activity and the development of the forest management.

In progress

The first objective is to increase the value of sustainable production, the productivity of the forests and the sector in the region. This would improve the main economic and employment parameters linked to the regional forestry sector. The programme development has allowed increasing the market of wood in Castilla y León.

FAFCYLE is a regional union of associations from nine provinces in the region of Castilla y León. It was founded in 1992 and nowadays is supported by 6.000 members who own more than 500.000 hectares. The main objectives include among others the representation of the landowners in regional, national and European governments and institutions and the assessment in the management of members-owned forests. Since 2006 Fafcyle has been mobilizing the forest resources of the region by organized collective auctions for owners of poplars. They are offered an advisory service, valuation and sale. The auctions are public with the presence of a notary with conditions and contracts signed between all the parties.

Average increase: 26,16%
Adjudication average price: 58,37 €/m3
In conclusion, we can confirm the recovery of the poplar market and the increase in interest by our associates and the industry for the Poplar Wood Auction.
FAFCYLE and its member associations, are firmly committed to continue this work: it is important to jointly manage the uses to get on the one hand a good offer interesting for the industry and on the other, obtain for the owner a fairer price of the product with guarantees in the sales and use processes.

This system offers to the owners advantages like: transparency in prices and improving themselves, technical counseling, guarantees on sale, security in the payment and execution of the felling.
The process is done in three steps:
1. Stand volume and valuation: tree inventory, volume calculation, stand volume rates, calculation of market price by diametric class and finally valuation document for the owner.
2. Before the auction:  FAFCYLE and the owner sign a contract to enter to the join auction. After this, the announcement of the auction is made in provincial bulletins, mails to the lumberjacks; and visits to the woodlot with the interested forest industries.
3. We do a public act auction before notary. Where woodlots are adjudicated, FAFCYLE, the owner and the purchaser sign a sale contract.
Between 2006 and 2017 a total of 145,188.81 m3 have been adjudicated in 200 lots valued in 7,326,991.56 €
Year 2017: 33 lots with a total of 20.900 m3 of wood valued in 1.457.537€ ( 69,7 euros/m3)

Many forests that could generate income are not really managed and forest-owners don´t take care of them. The causes are very often the low profitability of wood exploitation and the complexity of its management. Forest owners are not usually specialists and are not engaged in forestry activities. This leads to no incomes and to an increased risk of fires and pests. Faced with this situation, Agresta proposes specific contracts to forest-owners, making it possible a professional sustainable management allowing revenues, forest planning, wood mobilization, and infrastructure and silvicultural operations.

Forest management is not enough to get many forests out of abandonment. It is important to be in contact with main stakeholders and the reality of the markets, something that a forestry company can assure.
It is necessary to work with professionalism, entrepreneurial vision and long-term commitment, in a collaborative relationship and win-win with the owner.
The specialization in turnkey forest management by a company allows improving and making profitable the management since it increases the innovation capacity, including the technological one (management software, forest inventories with remote sensing...)

Taking into account environmental and heritage issues of sustainable management