High-Level Policy Dialogue on 09 November 2023, FOREST EUROPE

Tuesday, November 14 , 2023 481

On 9^th November Forest Europe offered an informal platform for high-level policymakers and relevant stakeholders working in the forest sectors. This dialogue facilitated the sharing of recent scientific findings, good practices as well as national and international policies to develop and implement strategies. It built a direct link to FOREST EUROPE’s 9th Ministerial Conference to support future activities of the FOREST EUROPE process. Main topic of discussion was how Sustainable Forest Management can maintain and enhance resilience in our forests, stimulating cross-border and cross-sectoral collaboration and providing important directions for the future.

The new UEF President – Tomasz Markiewicz participated at the meeting. 

According to his opinion the main question was answered as follows:
1. Mainstreaming resilience thinking into SFM requires a deliberate consideration of time frames and processes of resilience.
2. Strengthen pan-European monitoring of forest and response to disturbances.
3. SFM criteria and indicators should be used as a framework to assess the response to stress of Europe's forest.
4. Develop early warning indicators for (undesired) change by monitoring disturbance responses.
5. The SFM concept is needed, but it should be flexible and should include:

• Use of natural renewable material on a maximum scale;
• Forestry closer to nature;
• Use of genetic studies which should provide answers about adaptive possibilities of species. At the same time, it should be remembered that genetic material is limited.
• High numbers of forest animals threaten by adaptive changes;
• Biodiversity that supports adaptation;
• Changes in private forestry, which will be a big challenge. The question that needs to be answered in a short term is how to convince more private forest owners to actively manage their properties;
• Continuous improvement of knowledge and exchange of experiences is indispensable.

UEF Presidency