Forest

In drinking water protection zones (DWPZ) it may be necessary to transform forest stands which are not site-conform into more stable stands. During this process it can occur that the tree species which are not site-conform become a source of wood through the specific silvicultural transformation strategies. The amount of achievable wood is medium, as the timber-cutting activities have to be in line with the requirements for DWPZ. In Austria the main tree species in such situations will be Norway spruce (Picea abies). In DWPZ the amount of timber (wood) achievable through forest stand transformation strategies can be given but is limited as the guidelines for silviculture in DWPZ have to be applied. Hence no clear-cut activities are allowed there. Despite this fact it will be necessary to transform homogeneous spruce plantations into more stable forest stands. This process will release a limited amount of timber (wood). Cutting of Norway spruce in DWPZ which grows on sites which are not adequate for it in terms of forest ecosystem stability could yield medium amounts of wood. This process of cutting Norway spruce on sites of e.g. beech forest hydrotopes will last until the forest transformation is fulfilled. In all cases the guarantee of forest ecosystem stability is more important than the amount of timber yield. Hence the quantities of timber released in DWPZ will be limited in all cases.

IDWOOD aims to promote and foster innovation and competitiveness of SMEs in the wood sector in the SEE area by sharing and transferring technical and organizational know-how to enable local support organizations to address structural deficits of SMEs and enhance innovation potentials.

Inclusion of both, stakeholders and policy makers, is of great importance and beneficial for both. Stakeholders are given the opportunity to strengthen their organizational and technical capacities, to develop new functions, to participate to working groups and to be actively involved in networking activities. Policy makers receive guidelines and advice on support policies to foster sector’s development.

Results of the project are improved capacities of support organisations; transnational cooperation between support organisations, knowledge poles and productive sector; increased information flow towards SMEs; innovation, design and knowledge transferred to SMEs; sustainability of the transnational network/support system and SMEs cooperation after project end; increased knowledge of market opportunities.

Wood of exceptional quality of various tree species can be sold at the timber auction. First, trees that have high quality timber and are suitable for felling need to be identified with the help of local forester. After the delivery of logs to the place of auction about one month before the event, potential purchasers have 14 days to give offers for the selected timbers. The timbers are then sold to best tenderer. On the day of the open door, the public can view the logs and the prices reached. High quality logs can be sold to purchasers who will offer a slightly higher price than other wood. However, higher profit may be achieved at auction of timber. Purchasers are looking for timber of precisely defined quality and are willing to pay more. It is possible to reach very high prices at the auction and that can be a motivation for forest owners to invest more interest, time and work in their forests. In the year 2018, 3094 logs were offered by 447 owners, 993 offers were submitted. 90% of logs were sold for over 857.000 € to purchasers from Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Hungary and Croatia. The highest price reached at the auction was 11.833 €/m3 for ribbed Acer pseudoplatanus.

Action plan “Wood is beautiful” is an operational document for increasing the competitiveness of the entire forest-wood value chain. The document defines wood as a strategic raw material of Slovenia, which has a lot of unexploited potential. The action plan sets out the objectives, measures, indicators and deadlines for intensifying forest management and for the revitalization and development of wood processing and the energy use of its residues. Due to the interdependence between all individual areas, all the measures foreseen should be implemented. This way the document can contribute to the competitiveness of the entire forest-wood chain, job creation and high added value in the Slovenian wood processing industry. Key objectives of the action plan are to create a market for timber products and services, to increase forest management and conservation in line with forest management plans, to increase the amount and processing of timber at higher levels of difficulty with new technologies, to create new jobs and growth in added value per employee in the wood processing industry. The action plan again places Slovene wood processing industry among strategically important and promising industries with a sufficient amount of domestic raw material.

Forest owner association (FOA) Pohorje-Kozjak is voluntary, non-profit and independent association of private forest owners established in 2007. Main aim of FOA is to increase the sustainable management of private forests and strengthen the economic power of forest owners in accordance with the law. Main tasks of FOA are education of forest owners, consultancy on management and sale of wood, assistance in applying for calls and giving comments on legislation. In the year 2012, a forest owners cooperative (FOC) was set up in order to expand their activities to the rave of business integration.

FOC Kozjak-Pohorje is an example of good practice expansion from the societal activities to the level of business cooperation in a forest cooperative. The comparative study reveals, that members of FOC are on average younger, they have larger forest properties and are better educated than members of the FOA. Also, the interests of members in FOC and FOA are different;  socio-educational reasons are the main driving force in case of FOC, while among FOA members interests are predominantly economic in nature.

The purpose of FOC is primarily a common appearance on the market, which in turn accelerates the economic benefits of its members and increases the competitiveness of forest owners on the market. On the long term, the plan is to increase the purchase quantity of wood and conclude long-term contracts with sawmills. The FOC also established a logistic center for supplying the residents with heat, produced from woody biomass. The next planned step is the investment in boiler rooms, establishment of social enterprise and sale of heat to final consumers. In addition, members of the FOC carry out logging and harvesting activities for forest owners and state forests. In the period from its foundation to date, the operation of the cooperative is stable and positive.

OHS is part of the international network Open House Worldwide, which operates in more than 35 cities around the world. The OHS is available to the general public, who can enter and test the buildings, get in contacts with the owners and the experts. At the same time it is also intended to promote top experts working in the field of design, design, procurement, construction, operation, maintenance and use of buildings.

Making good architecture is by no means easy. Nowadays it is challenging also in terms of the speed of orders and the advancement of technology. Good architecture is not fashionable, it is one that will be good regardless of the changes brought about by time. In this, the user will feel good, respectful to the environment and sustaining throughout the life cycle.

All the buildings showcased during OHS festivals are presented in the largest network of Slovene architecture. Over the years the largest and constantly expanding collection of contemporary Slovene architecture has been built. In the collection there are over 160 objects where wood has been used as a prevailing material for construction or indoor equipment.  OHS encourages the awareness that buildings are made for long periods, therefore their operation, energy consumption and the right choice of materials are important for a sustainable and conscious social and economic development.

Machinery ring is a social organization that offers support services for farmers and forest owners. It is a form of the use of machines between farms based on mutual neighborly assistance. Members of a machinery ring are owners of agricultural and/or forestry machinery and they can also provide services to other members at prices agreed. The machinery ring ensures coordination and dialogue between service providers and users.

Experience of the first years of operation show good results. The amount of work increases year by year. Forest owners are provided with a comprehensive service, from harvesting forest trees to selling timber, processing residues in wood chips and selling chips. They are able to achieve better prices at market. The machinery ring is a good and innovative example of linking forest owners, which by increasing efficiency and professionalism enables increased mobilization of wood from private forests, better silviculture of these forests and higher returns for individual owners.

Forest owners have access to high-quality hardware that cannot be afforded by individual owners. The machinery ring also provides expert advice and the purchase and sale of wood, including biomass for heating, and agricultural services. In the framework of the machinery ring, the training of owners for work in the forest and professional excursions are organized in cooperation with the Forest Service. The members also receive various discounts when purchasing forestry equipment. To make better use of machinery and work on a larger scale, they set up a limited liability company SK Servis, which deals with felling, harvesting and sale of wood, the production and sale of wood chips and the construction and maintenance of skid roads.

Since Harghita County is rich in wood source, the main aim of this policy is to encourage and promote the use of wood in constructions first of all at the level of public buildings but to enlarge it on business and household level. This successful implementation project from Harghita County we are going to expand this approach on national level in Romania. This policy approach should be taken into account at in other regions of Romania as well. 52% of Harghita County’s turnover is given by forest management and wood processing. 35.6 % of the County’s surface is covered by forest, 47% of these forests are owned by local forest owner associations, the rest being owned by private owners and local public authorities, churches and state. The most important lessons from this best practice is the consciousness and endurance of the local stakeholders. The policy aims to identify how forests can provide new jobs and business opportunities in order to keep rural communities alive. Beside the fact of strengthening the idea of traditional use of wood, there is a need to create new, competitive wooden products with high added value. In order to protect the local wood processing based industry the policy of County Council does not allow the establishment of international investors who would like to exploit the county’s natural resources without adding high value added activity on local level. Taking into account that at this moment there isn’t any big company, investor in the field of silviculture and forestry establish in the county this is already a positive impact of the policy.

The European Forestry and Environmental Skills Council (EFESC) is a membership organization of industry representatives and organisations which manage and monitor the skills and competence certification processes on national level.

Chainsaws are potentially dangerous, so it is important to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to use it. First checking if your training was set up to meet the European Chainsaw Standards, then next level is European Chainsaw Certificates that ensure skills and competences through detailed description of the required qualification for each level. ECC enhance operator mobility and employability throughout Europe, independent of language and country. ECC guarantee traceability of the licensed certificate holder through registration at the National Agency and in the EFESC database.

European minimum standards (ECS) have been developed for different competence levels of chainsaw use.Currently standards are available for the following competence levels:
ECS 1 : chainsaw maintenance and crosscutting
ECS (Tension) : wood under tension (simulated situations)
ECS 2 : basic tree felling
ECS 3 : advanced tree felling
ECS 4 : windblown and damaged trees
ECS (Height): chainsaw use at height (currently being developed)
Based on each of the above ECS competence levels, a formal assessment procedure has been agreed upon. By taking an assessment in an accredited assessment centre, chainsaw users can acquire a European Chainsaw Certificate. Only EFESC accredited assessment centres can issue European Chainsaw Certificates. From 2012 to 31/12/2018, 12.532 certificates were issued at European level.

The sawmills have made an investment for the purchase of a machine suitable for turning wooden poles. The aim was to use local and naturally durable wood species without adding chemical impregnating agents (chestnut in Tuscany, larch in Trentino) to offer turned stakes for fences, wooden toys and outdoor furniture on the market. The approach was to innovate the production process to better exploit the characteristics of the two species, also with a view to increasing consumers' environmental sensitivity (0 km wood, without the use of chemical impregnating agents). The larch on the Alpine arc and the chestnut on the Apennine ridge certainly are not lacking in Italy, just as the small or less assortments market that could be in this way valued. The investments for the plant and the training of the personnel must be carefully evaluated, but good margins can be imagined. To enhance this type of production, widely used for public urban furnishings, the willingness of Public Administrations to develop "green purchasing" policies must be carefully evaluated. The Casolla sawmill produces around 600-800 m3 of larch turned piles per year, PEFC certified, of which about 70% is turned out of heart and 30% with heart. The product is much appreciated, every year new customers are added to those already established and the practice of replacing, once consumed, pine poles impregnated with those in local larch is spreading. A great result for the Casolla Sawmill was the supply of large quantities of this product for EXPO 2015 (Milan). This aspect represents a negative for the Tani sawmill, because many Tuscan administrations continue to buy turned and impregnated products of foreign origin. The company currently produces around 3,000 q of turned, chestnut but also douglasia, less than the potential it had set for itself.