component iii. forest managemnet · control elements of planning 10 2.1. ... this results in...

Component III. Forest managemnet Planning report Author : Gemerské regionálne združenie vlastníkov neštátnych lesov Semester of project : 4-th

Author : Gemerské regionálne združenie vlastníkov neštátnych lesov

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Planning Report 1. Introduction 2

1.1. Historical survey 3 1.2. Development and planning in forestry 7

2. Control elements of planning 10

2.1. Sustainable management , base of facts 10 2.2. Demonstrate compliance for certification 11 2.3. Requirement for grant aid 13

3. Planning frames 14

3.1. Strategic / regional 14 3.2. Local area 15 3.3. Forests/ forest areas/ forest stand 16

4. Planning systems 18

4.1. Background information 18 4.2. Nature protection influence on planning 19 4.3. Long-term vision, target determination 23 4.4. Operations necessary to achieve this aim 24 4.5. Support network 25 4.6. Monitoring, assessment and revisions of the planning process 26

5. Key planning processes 27

5.1. Communication, information sharing 27 5.2. Consultation during plan preparation 27 5.3. Evidence and plans revision 28

6. Conclusion and recommendations 29

6.1. Relationship and effectiveness of planning framework 29 6.2. Positive/ negative impacts 30 6.3. Key challenges 31 6.4. Opportunities /recommendations 31

Appendix 1. Planning in the forest sector-Municipal Forest Kosice,Inc. 33 Appendix 2. Basic information about the forest in the Presov and Kosice regions 43


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1. Introduction

Report on planning in the forest management in Slovakia elaborated Gemer

regional association of non-state forest owners with residence in Rožňava in accordance with orders of buyer, Self-governing region Prešov. A necessity to elaborate submitted report resulted from buyer’s commitment within international project ROBINWOOD, a programme of the interregional cooperation INTEREG IIIC.

Report structure proposed a leader of the “FORESTRY” component from Wales and it was binding for the elaborator.

As protected areas net, which overlap with forest stand on a large scale, cover 23 % of the Slovak territory, we have assessed the protection nature influence on planning and the forest management over the frame of the proposed structure.

Important part of the report is Annex 2, which mentions detailed actual characteristics of the Prešov and Košice region forests. Further it is a case study – about planning in Košice Urban forests conditions, which manage more than 20 000 ha of forests with given FSC certification.

Mentioned annexes, as the whole report introduce a good potential for future preparation of regional strategic documents in the forestry field.

Forests cover both of regions, which represent a significant potential of their

development and permanent sustainability of the qualitative life mainly in rural areas. The percentage of forests in Prešov regions achieves almost 49 % and 39 % in Košice region (Pic. 1). Pic. 1 Forests in Prešov and Košice regions


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1.1 Historical survey

To understand planning of forestry activities and its development in region of Košice and Prešov county it is important to know also about historical development of region which was of significant influence on forestry planning itself.

First Slavonian tribes found our territory covered by forests. The ancestors of this settlers strike only insignificantly into state of forests. Inhabitants used forests and all what they found without restraint. Proprietary it was territory called “ thing of no one “ - "res nullis", what means that its utilization for management was very moderate and spontaneous. It reflected present needs of inhabitants and was not regulated by any law or authority.

With increasing number of inhabitants in next centuries forested area decreased and finaly in mediaval times forests were found only on typical forest sites. As early as in the 1st and the 2nd century A.D., this regions were of great interest of Romans due to wood resources of good quality, mostly for shippbuilding.

In the middle of 11th century the expansion of Hungarian cavalry hit also eastern

part of Slovakia. Conquered regions with land and inhabitants became heritable property of Ugrian king. In the 11 th century on the behalf of better control of conquered territory autonomous units called „stolice“ or “comitates“ ocured as administrative and management centres. First concrete owners of territory were meritorious courtiers of Ugrian king. The courtiers recieved property rights by “donation“ – means as a present - on former royal territory. Increasing residential density and significant expansion of agricultural land results in increased attack on forests. Forest owners were enabled to free timber logging, if it will be not comercialized. Forestry in Slovakia with its rich history and tradition developed besides mining. Presence of basic industry formed first forestry theories. Although in this period souvereigns emphasised hunting and fishing already in 13 th century function of forester or ranger is mentioned. Foresters were entrusted to protect forest as a royal property.

In mediaval times counties of Košice, Prešov, Spiš and Gemer were mining

regions of european importance. Considering restricted transportation ore was processed in vicinity of mines. Mediaval smelteries were huge consumers of wood, directly or in the form of charcoal. This results in deforestration of large-scale areas and in the end of Middle Age mining was endangered. As Slovak mines were main source of royal income the souvereigns had to solve this situation.

The beginning of planning – planned management in the forests is presented in

the year 1426. King Zigmund released rules for using forests for mining purposes. This regulations established order in forest use in the form of glade and protection of forest for sustainable benefits. Only glades as integrated units were cut down. As late as logging in one unit was finished it was possible to continue in another. By this means logging gained distinct spatial borders what was difference between former rangy logging.

Revolutionary importance on planning and management development has

“Forest regulation of Banská Bystrica“ (Banskobystrický lesný poriadok), released on


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15th May 1565 by Maximilián II. Regulation was result of two year forest inventarisation - first in our country. It includes description of forest stands, species composition as well as instructions to ensure logging equability within area. All knowledge about forestry and floatation are included. This regulation has importance also for silviculture – to retain proper number of seed trees and understorey after logging.

As for development of Slovak forestry so for european, establishment of first

academy of technical direction in the world – Mining academy - is of undisputable importance. This was established in 1762 following decision of monarch Maria Theresia in Banská Štiavnica. First forest management plans are known from years 1764 – 65. Plans include taxation characteristics in detail as well as spatial differenciation, forest mapping, logging and instructions for management.

In 1769 “Theresian forest order“ was released as a reaction on advanced

capitalistic production relations. This included inter alia regulations heading to continuous and balanced logging and control regulations. It stimulates afforestation on unused areas around vilages and in urban areas. As first “Theresian forest order“ established principle of sustainable production – system present in forestry in Middle Europe for more than 230 years. This helped to ensure forest for future generations. This law was impulse for opening of forestry education at Mining academy in Banská Štiavnica in 1770. In 1807 autonomous Forestry academy was detached from Mining academy. First professor was Henrich David Wilkens, specialist in forest planning - forest management. Wilkens cooperate with famous person of Slovak forestry- respected forest manager, forester of Banská Bystrica city – Jozef Dekret Matejovie who approved high European level with new practical methods in forestry. Well known is reaserch and projects in artificial planting and in forest management. Thanks to his work Slovakia began with: sowing own provenance seeds , gutter transporation and using of hand saw. He established tradition of forest basic industry. Importance of forestry he saw in conservation and multiple improvment of forest. His message for present times is “ Retain forest for our children because they are assumption for maintenance of life on Earth“.

During further developmnet planning and forest management depend on philosophy of forest laws and regulations.

In 1879 “Ugrian forest law“ was released and management according to forest

management plans was for the first time on our territory anchored in law. This duty was for state, municipal and shared ownership forest. Statutory rule 97 from year 1930 set an obligation to have forest management plan for all forests above 50 hectares. Plans for state forest were elaborated by taxation division associated with headquarters, for other forests were elaborated by forest divisions at county ofice. There was existence of civil authorized elaborators in this time as well.

Afer 2nd World War in 1950 inventarization of forest above 10 hectares took

place. In other forests inventarization was done by airplane in 1953 - 1954. In 1948 law No. 206 of afforestation, establishment of forest protection belts and

fishing ponds was adopted. In clauses of this law there is duty to establish new forst stands with species

suitable for sites.


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On 1th January 1952 independent organisation for elaborating forest

management plans - Lesoprojekt was established. In the same year by law No. 61/1951 all other institutions were officialy discard. This step means harmonisation of methodology for elaborating of forest mangement plans.

In 1958 instruction about forest managemet No. 75 was adopted. This means harmonisation of form and contents of forest management plans in whole former Czecho-Slovakia and special surveys were integrated in structure of forest management plans as well.

The last laws regulating planning and managment activities in forests were forest

Act No. 166/1960, Act No. 61/1977 of forests, Act No. 100/1977 of forest management and Civil service in forestry. Actual is Act No. 326/2005 of forests.

In whole present development of planning and forest management it is possibel to see increased influence of state on forest owners and users. In actual administrative-economical situation in Slovakia as well as in Košice and Prešov county its important to revaluate influence of state.

For understanding of present situation in planning it is importanat to know

development of ownership of forest land. Historical development of forest land ownership infuenced present situation of forest owners with reference to ordering of estates holdings and possibility to take part in planning and realisation of management activities, as well as using own property - forest.

From 1218 besides Crown lands also private properties occure in Slovakia.

Under influence of this new property circumstances inhabitants of Slovakia are from 13th century divided in two social groups: aristocracy and their vassals. Estate – land property according to hungarian definition valid during whole existence of estates, then from 13th to 19th century consists of one big or more smaller (important for management) complex of land belonging to one person or corporate entity eventualy to more persons but with homogenous management.

Bondage was cancelled by law No. IX. from 1848. Former vassals settled on

aristocracy land gain cultivated fields, meadows, grasslands and forests into ownership.

This former vassals parcels were detached from property of aristocracy (segregation) and land owner were distinguish into small-holders, landlords, and country gentlemen.

In 1787 cultivated land in Slovakia acording to area was holded in ratio: aristocracy and church 41 %, country gentlemen 29%.

In Košice and Prešov county as well as in whole Slovakia specific kind of

ownership is shared ownership, developed from vassal maintenance of aristocratic land.

By law IX/1848 valid from 11.4.1848 shared ownership was cancelled. Land of former owners got to their ownership without payment. According to Act LIII/1871, § 2 „following abandonment of duties of shared owners by law from 1848, former vassals have right of total ownership and freely dispose of property in their hands”.

After bondage was cancelled (1848) in 1859 a 1863 mending of estates into manorial and shared ownership is in progress. As a result of this process we can find


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many names of locations which are an evidence of new ownership. Ownership of shared owners is indivisible ownership of comon estate.

After Czechoslovak republic was established in 1918 law 215/1919 of requisition

of big estate property was accepted- requisition law - first estate reform. Requisition of big etsates meets persons with more than 150 ha of agricultural land or mor than 250 ha of all land. With exceptions Act enabled some persons to have up to 500 ha of land. The owner took decision which land will remain in his ownership and which will be divided.

After 2nd WW regulation 1/1945 was accepted and allocation of deprivated land

was done - second estate reform. After firts partial payment new owner gain title – bill of land quantity.

For Slovakia big fragmentation of estates is characteristic outgoing from Ugrian law -„Tripartitum Iuris“ from 1514 – valid as Common Law until 1950 when Civil Code was accepted. According to this Act each owner could detailed even small part of his estate and vest to ownership of somone else. The rule of equable heritage was respected.

After year 1945 part of non-state estates vest to use by state. Surplus estates are in private ownership but use is step by step in hand of state.

After year 1991 restitution take part and repeated transfer of forest estates to use

of former owners (from 1991). The most frequent problem of forest owners by transfer of estates is that jural

state is not identical with state of register “C“ of cadastre and the borders of estates are not identified in the field.

In connection with this problem of borders it is neccesary to say that after 1945 beneficial use was prefered over property rights. Property borders of forests were not renewed. In order to racionalisation of state management new borders respecting natural and stand conditions over property conditions were established.

To this day approximately 17% of forest land are estates not in state property.

Their transfer to owners is in administration, owners did not ask for transfer or the owner is known but his whereabouts is unknown or owner is unknown or ownership is disputable. This owners don´t have oportunity to take part in planning of forestry activities on their property and can not use their forest.


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1.2 Development and planning in forestry

Forestry planning in Slovakia was provided by Lesoprojekt as self-centred state organisation established on 1th January 1952. In the same year by law No. 61/1951 all other institutions were officialy cancelled. This step means harmonisation of methodology for elaborating of forest mangement plans on state level.

Change of property relations caused by “tender revolution“ in 1989 did not fully displayed in section of forestry planing up to this day.

Lesoprojekt remains as sate-established organisation authorized to methodical supervision and coordination of forest planning - management. This is ensured by elaborating of methodology and regular course of bussines, organizing educational training and guidance in planning problematic and software equipment.

From 1th January 2006 is integral division of National forestry centre in Zvolen and is divided in two autonomous departments Lesoprojekt and Department of forest resources and informatics.

Nowadays also private subjects are present in forestry planning. In 2005 Assosiation of taxation offices of Slovak republic was established. It is umbrela company for nine private subjects and corporate enities. It is important player in development of forestry planning. In 2006 private subjejts elaborate forest management plans for 77 000 ha of forest that means 38 % market share.

In Slovak republic there is homogenous compulsory system of planning in public

and private sector. Present system of forest planning and management based on forest management plans is one of most detailed and sophisticated in the world.


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Forest management plan (further FMP) is middle-range planning tool cosequently projected into short-time normaly one year operating and economical plans. Basic principles of elaboration of FMP are anchored in forest Act 326/2005 and further details are in regulation No. 453/2006 of forestry planning and management. FMP is according to law tool of state, owner and manager for sustainable forest mangemnet (§40 in forest Act). Components of FMP are especialy: 1. General section of FMP (text section) – is supplied to forest manager in form of single book, for smaller owner in form of extract. It includes general survey of natural and management conditions in the area. 2. Description of forest units and management plan is the most important part of FMP. It consists of single book (supplied also on data medium). It contains data concerning individual forest stands. Data are sort in table format and can be divided on: Ø description section – contains data describing forest stand and data describing

single tree species. Ø instruction section – contains verbal instructions and quantified duties in

hectares and m3 for managemnet in concrete forest stand. 3. Area table contains area of all forest premises of concrete user (forest stands, unproductive areas, roads, timber storage areas etc.), summaries and comparsion with cadastre. 4. Summmary tables provide comprehensive information of forest stand status, serve mainly for analysis of logging resources and management activities 5. Forest stand map is necessary for using description of stands and management plan as well as basic geografical situation (edges, rivers, contour lines, ground elevations..), detailed situation of forest transportation network and forest paths and basic information of forest stands (age, forest categories, borders of protecetd areas etc.). 6. Outline map is non-coloured forest stand map, serves for graphic part of forest management evidence and to draw in changes in field situation during validty of FMP. FMP execution Detection of forest state and development and management planning is done in following phases (§30 regulation No. 453/2006 ) : 1. Complex investigation of forest state is investigation of data about natural, social, technical and economical conditions of forest management and forest development. Made within forest sections and sub-sections. 2. Framework planning is definition of management model for management unit in framework planning. Unit for global planning is operative complex. It refers to forest category, silvicultural shape of forest, sites conditions, stand conditions and threats. Management models are groundwork for execution of FMP and are part of principles for FMP execution for concrete forest unit.


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Management model contains : a) management goal – treespecies composition, final timber production, final stand structure b) basic framework of management – silvicultural system and its forms, age of cutting, regeneration period, safeguard period and rotation period c) management principles – forest treatment, forest regeneration, forest protection and forest reconstruction Detailed investigation of forest state is investigation of silvicultural shape, operative complex, terain exposition and slope, area, age, stocking, stand volume, tree species composition, mean height, mean diameter, site class, defects and fenotype. For each category of forest current, mean and total increment is listed. Detailed planing determine management arrangements for units, partial areas, stand groups and etages for valid period of FMP. Within management operations responsibilities for regeneration, treatment and protection of forest, forest amelioration and logging. According to analysis of state of forest stand mentioned in general section of FMP executor of FMP nominates use of logging indicator. Continuously executes project of logging possibilities for next six decades. Practice by executing and endorsement of FMP: Ø forest owner or forest manager notify to Civil Service for forestry end of validity

of FMP (18 months in advance), Ø Civil Service for forestry notify owner or manager at latest 10 days after

contract about execution of FMP with successful candidate was closed Ø Details for executing of report about forest management are offered to

executor till 31th January of last year of validity of FMP through forest manager

Ø Project of FMP is discused with forest manager before it is introduced to county magistrate

Ø Into project of FMP introduced to county magistrate till 15th December of last year of validity changes in cadastre and management activities during period between field work and until last year of validity of FMP are incorporated.

Functions of FMP Ø supply data and directions for forest manager, Ø Civil Srevice organs for forestry use FMP as tool for control of management,

state supervision as well as global information about state and deveopment of forest fund for performance of forestry policy

Ø Civil Service organs for environment have information about state and development of forest fund necessary for administration,

Ø Department of forest resources and informatics uses data for executing of FMP within their databank,

Ø Other executors of FMP (private taxation offices) use FMP made by Lesoprojekt as groundwork for evaluation of mangemnet in the past.


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2. Control elements of planning 2.1 Sustainable management, base of facts

One of the most important activities in forestry is the forest management - planning. This term has its origin in the Central Europe, in german speaking countries. English speaking countries call it forest management which means also forest planning.

Act No. 326/2005, the Forest Act /further Act/ says in the § 38, 1. paragraph: „Forest planning is an activity oriented on the investigation of the state and development of the forest, monitoring, valuation, goal determination and forest management planning so that it leads to synchronisation of owners interests, forest managers priorities and public utility to meet the goals of sustainable forest management.“

With the development of society and especially with the development of use of forest resources came to forest manager question, how to use forest resources the best, which forms should they use to avoid the disasters with environmental, economical and social consequences. After bad experience with exploitation and thanks to always better understanding of implications of forest intervention management of the forest in a different way begun to avoid threat of its basic functions Forest management – planning become scientific forestry discipline. It uses following methods: Ø temporal regulation of the forest – it solves the time aspects of the logging and

cultivating interventions to reach required goals. Its main scope is definition of age of cutting, cutting period, reproduction period, beginning of reproduction etc., basic indicators are defined e.g. silvicultural systems,

Ø spatial regulation of the forest – enables the spatial interventions, deals with the division on forest planning units (from individual forest stands to large management units), allocation of particular tree species in this units, segmentation of forest komplex in term of their protection, categorisation of forest management units etc.

Ø harvest regulation of the forest – aims at long-term equity of volume of logged timber, optimalization of using production potencial of forests in compiance with the principles of silviculture and forest protection.

Application of these methods requests accomplished knowlegde of state,

development and potentials of forest as whole and individual forest stands as well. That’s why is the state investigation inseparable part of the forest management at the very outset.

New forest law valid from 1.9.2005 confirms long-time tradition in the forest management. In § 36 of Act it obligates every forest manager with duty to ensure the management after the forest management plan.


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2.2. Demonstrate compliance for certification

Area of planing in the form of forest management planning and operative and economical planning in forest enterprise is projected as one of important criteria by most used certification schemas FSC and PEFC. Certification schema FSC In certification schema FSC the requirement of planned forest management is anchored in the basic targets, which is environmental responsible, social useful and economic suitable forest management. The requirement of planned forest management is anchored in following principles: Principle No. 1: Accordance with the rules and principles of FSC. Obligation to manage after the forest management plan is in Slovakia anchored straight in the Forest Act. Principle No. 4: Social relationships and labour laws. It includes need of personal plan for the number of employees, traders in needed qualification structure in connection with the personal costs plan. Principle No. 5: Utilities of the forest. In forest management plan are quantified mostly timber volume in tree species composition and potential logging possibilities. Operative and economical plan specifies through the process of sortimentation real value on the timber marked. Other planned forest’s utilities are production of seedlings, game management and other products. Principle No. 6: Effect on the environment. Planning in this section must respect biodiversity, rare and sensitive ecosystems and landscape elements, keep up ecological function and integrity. Operative and economical plan must respect using of suitable technologies, reducing soil, water, vegetation and animal damage and optimal use of natural processes, natural reproduction, succession, genetic species diversity and natural cycles and so decrease costs of forest production. Principle No. 7: Management plan. Forest management plan (FMP) in Slovak republic (SR) fulfil all main criteria required by standards of FSC. FMP is detailed and in many characters above standard in comparison to European countries. Actual version of FMP does not include social and economical impacts of the management. Principle No. 8: Monitoring and evaluation. There is an obligation of monitoring and evaluation of management activities and their social and environmental impacts in forest management system in SR. The feedback is secured by the obligation of forest management evidence and permanent control of pursuance of FMP. Principle No. 9: Conservation of natural forests. Planning in natural forests is based on their categorisation and is taken in account by making FMP to retain this forests.


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Certification schema PEFC

Main goal of PEFC certification schema is support of sustainable forest management. Requirements for planed forest management are anchored in following criteria and qualitative indicators:

Forest resources – background for forest resources certification is FMP with data about forest area and other estates, stand volume, age and tree species composition.

Maintenance of health and vitality of forest ecosystems – there is record about degree and factor of forest stand injury in FMP. Concept for reparation and improvment of health conditions is defined in section management operations. Operations are reflected in operative and economical plan in the form of costs.

Maintenance and reinforcement of forest productive functions – FMP is guarantie for balanced use of increment in logging process. FMP in conditions of Slovak republic does not ensure planning in the field of game management and utilisation of non-timber forest products. There is special system of game management planning according to hunting Act as Plan of preservation and hunting.

Maintenance, preservation and proper reinforcement of biological diversity in forest ecosystems – this criteria is reflected in FMP in form of forest categories and subcategories, in definition of genetic resources, planning of natural regeneration and tree species composition. This indicator are reflected in operative and economical planning.

Maintenance, preservation and proper reinforcement of protective forest functions– FMP qualify and recommend operations for retain and reinforcement water and soil protective forests.

Maintenance of other socio-economic functions in the forestry – criteria is fully interpreted in operative and economical plan. As PEFC certification system is mainly regional certification system, operative and economical plan should contain wider impacts on region mainly in form of GDP ratio from forestry activities and emloyment.

Resulting from stated comparison planning form one of key segment in

certification processes in forestry. Present planning in Slovakia is for needs of FSC and PEFC systems in european

context over standard. In certification reports are chapters about planning high ranking without need for any reparations.


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2.3 Requirement for grant aid

Execution of FMP for every manager (owner, manager of forest property in state holding, person or corporate entity managing non-state forests) is guaranted by state. Owner or manager must share expences and pay back part of cost conected with issue of FMP. This facts are present in forest Act. Ø Costs for execution of FMP parts are covered by state through organ of Civil

Service for forestry. Ø Costs for execution of FMP parts as stand description, management operation

plan, outline and forest stand map after approbation of FMP are covered by forest manager on account of organ of Civil Service for forestry. This resources are income of state budget.

Average price for executing of FMP in Prešov and Košice county was 350,- Sk/ha

(€ 9,5/ha) exluded VAT, cost covered by owner or manager represent cca. 20% that means 70,- Sk/ha (€ 1,9/ha).

This year FMP are reneved on area of 200 087,84 ha in Slovakia. In Košice and

Prešov county on area of 60 257 ha. The costs covered by state in this two counties from state budget are 21 089 950,- Sk (€ 562 400) . The income of state budget from forest managers should be 4 217 990,-Sk (€ 112 500).

Nowadays, there is no state support programme that can cover specific 20% of

FMP costs. Until 2005 there were no acounts payable to state. Future will show if this new model of financing and former model of FMP will be functional.

Except of own execution of FMP state subsidises activities directly connected

with execution of FMP in Slovakia e.g. komplex investigation of forest state with average yearly budget cca. 13 mil.- Sk (€ 346 700) that serves as groundwork for frame planning instructions as fundament for forest management defined e.g. by age of cutting, regeneration period, final tree species composition etc. As well as administration of state mapping production and buying of aerial photographs with average yearly budget of 14 600 000.-Sk (€ 389 400). The state provides this activities through state organisation National forestry centre in Zvolen.

In Slovakia FMP are executed in detail and conected investigations brings

detailed data and results from 10 year management periods, information about state and predicted development of forests. This data serves and are accessible for forest managers as well as for forestry specialists, executors of FMP, scientist, researchers, and Civil Service which is control and regulative organ in forest management and forestry policy. The state consider financing of present scale of FMP as necessary.


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3. Planning frames 3.1 Strategic / regional

In Slovakia planning process consists of forest state and its development detection and of management planning in forests. Two levels of the planning process are distinguished: Ø Complex forest state detection, of which data of the frame planning represent

the result Ø Detailed forest state detection, of which the detailed planning is the result

Frame planning can be considered as the strategic/regional planning in Slovakia.

Forest areas and their parts are considered to be space units for the frame planning. Forest areas and their sub-areas are permanent territorial units of the space division, which are established on the base of the bio geographical regionalization of the Slovak territory. They are regional territory ecological units, by nature homogenous; characteristic by a specific combination of the forest typological and pedological base units, specific by a relation of site potentials to ecological stability, specific by a production aspect. They are not identical with regional-administration zoning of Slovakia. There are 47 forest areas in Slovakia. 14 of them interfere with Prešov region territory, 12 of them with Košice region territory (more detailed in Annex 7 of the regulation no. 453/2006).

Frame planning is the determination of the management model. Management models determine base data for the forest management:

Ø Rotation period Ø Regeneration period Ø Securing period Ø Return period Ø Silvicultural system and its form Ø Target stand structure (vertical) Ø Target species composition and regeneration species composition Ø Target and regeneration species mixture

Variability of management models is given by a large number of identifiers. At

present 19 different identifiers are used for management models determination. These are namely the forest stands characteristics used for planning, which describe:

Ø Site type, Ø Present state of tree species component (species composition and

jeopardy by injurious agents), Ø Social function (several forest, protection, water management and urban

characteristics), Ø Basic management intents (proposed management system).

Their amount, mainly high number of identifiers rather complicates the situation

for the forest owner and user, but also for the institute of forest manager. And thus the frame planning becomes already very detailed by the beginning of its existence.


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The process of the creation of frame planning guidelines is managed by legal

standards in Slovakia, as the whole planning process. National forest centre in Zvolen and its part, the Institute of forest resources and informatics Zvolen as a legal entity founded by the ministry of agriculture, is a guarantee of the unified methodology used in planning.

3.2 Local area

Units of the spatial distribution, which we can characterise as local, are a part of the spatial arrangement of the whole forest. These are forest units and ownership units. Forest units are territorially integrated forest components, for which the forest management plan is elaborated. State administrative authority determines them from the own incentive or from the proposal of the owner or manager. Legal system also knows the term ownership unit, which forests in ownership of one or more owners create if there is one manager. This is a particularity of our country, where ownership is divided into such small parts, that the owner has no interest in it or does not know about it. In Slovakia there is more than 500 000 ha of land of unknown owners, about which somebody has to take care. Forests of the SR, state company, manages 1 130 786 ha – 58,5 % of forest land in the state and owns only 807 753 ha – 41,8 % of forest land up to date 31.12.2005 from the mentioned reason. On the other hand the private ownership of forest land represents 275 243 ha – 14,2 %, but private owners manages only the area of 121 372 ha – 6,3%. Besides, the ownership on the area of 112 796 ha is unknown, when it is not possible to identify the owner / Green report of the SR 2006/. From the existence of the mentioned situation the state adopted a decision to manage forest lands by the state organisation until the time of final owner identification. Thus the forest unit and the ownership unit are distinguished for planning necessities.

Volume of regeneration cut is determined by allowable cut indicators in case of felling regulation to secure sustainable management on a local level. These are: Ø Felling percents according to age classes and regeneration period length, Ø Empirical felling percents, Ø 1/20 of volume of stands of the last age category and older, Ø 1/30 of volume of stands of the last three age classes and older, Ø Mean rotation increment.

The forest unit, which is territorially integrated part and its smallest area is

generally 1000 ha, is taken into consideration by cut amount determination. This method of cut amount determination handicaps forest managers of smaller areas. Amount of planned cut by this method does not take into consideration the potential of a concrete forest property, which is characterised by total current increment. By this method planned cut appears to be a regulation measure of the state to increase wood mass volume.

Tab.1. Development of the timber cut share and of the total current increment in % in Slovakia: 1980 1993 2000 2004 2005* 66,3% 41,8% 55,5% 63% 88% Note: Increase in 2005 is affected by wind throw disaster from November 2004.


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3.3 Forests / forest areas / forest stands

Forests/ forest areas, marked as spatial distribution units, are divided into:

Ø Forest areas and sub-areas (see Chapter 3.1) Ø Forest units (see Chapter 3.2) Ø Ownership units (see Chapter 3.2) Ø Compartments (forest stand)

Forest stand is a basic unit for forest state detection, planning, recording and

control of management. It is created on a base of forest land ownership with minimal area of 0,5 ha ((§ 39 Sec. 6 of Act on forests). The stand is identified by natural boundaries (edges, streams), by artificial boundaries or by ownership in the terrain. Detailed forest state detection follows before the stage of detailed planning for the concrete forest stand. Facts on tree species (diameter, site class, wood volume, damage and phenotype value), silvicultural forest form, management set, exposition and terrain slope, area, forest stand age, crop density are detected.

Detailed planning in concrete forest stands, which are assigned to a forest land in

cadastre, is a result of the detailed planning activity. Forest lands (FL) with forest stands including clearings assigned to forestation

form the wooded land (WL). Areas without forest stands (forest nurseries, seed plantations, forest roads, forest depots, cleared boundary lines, lands of a specific intent and so on.), which serve to forest management and are inevitable for it, occur on FL. These lands, their parcels are assigned to the land sort „ forest land“ in cadastre. Areas, on which forest stands namely wooded land exist, are extra recorded in forest management plans.

Forest stands on agricultural lands (i.e. white areas) exist apart from wooded land

in Slovakia, recorded as agricultural lands in cadastre. Detailed forest stand and their area detection is not carried out there. Forest management plan is not elaborated for them and they are not forestry managed.

The whole concern is schematically showed in a picture no. 2, it is a part of area on Plavnica Forest unit. White area of 7,54 ha in size and overgrown with forest is recorded northerly by compartment no. 443 and 444. Forest stand on agricultural land also occurs westward from this white area. Forest stand on agricultural land also exist in the northeast by189b and 190 compartments and in the middle between roads there are also forest stands on agricultural lands.

At present it is not possible to determine the range and area of these lands in Prešov and Košice region, because there are no relevant background papers available. It can be assumed, that their area on both of regions presents several tenths order of thousand hectares.

It is inevitable to identify these lands as soon as possible, to revaluate and assign

land sort again, to record changes in cadastre and to detect forest state for planning and utilization of economy forests potential and to start manage them by plan.


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Pic. 2. White areas , Forest Unit Plavnica

forest stand

parcels in cadastre

white areas


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4. Planning systems 4.1 Background information connected to forest attributes with emphasis on socio-economic and environmental impacts

Forests in connection to human society fulfil different functions. The forest function does not depend only on human subjective requirements, but also on site conditions of individual forest stands, which limit it significantly and objectively. At the same time each forest stand fulfils more functions, production and non-production. Forest functions development and improvement of forest biodiversity is secured under elaborated Forest management plans (FMP). Act on forests (no.326/2005) characterises forest functions as benefits, effects and influences, which forests provide as a part of the nature environment and as the object of management. It divides them on non-production and production forest functions. Ecological functions, mainly soil-conservation, water management and climate and social functions, mainly health, cultural, recreation, nature-conservation and water-conservation belong to non-production functions. Forest stand has to be managed by suitable manner to fulfil required function. Management of stands corresponding to their function is secured by forest dividing into 3 categories and several subcategories. We distinguish three forest categories in Slovakia: commercial forests (C), protective forests (P) and special purpose forests (S). The overview is presented in Table 2.

Forest categorization closely relates with site typification and stand classification into commercial forests (C) or protective (P) unambiguously arise from the prevailing site type in that stand. Category “S” constitutes a certain exception from this rule – it results chiefly from the social or collective interest expressed by the act of special purpose forests declaration of stands. A certain restriction related to site character remains here, protective function is superior to all other functions.

Legal regulation on forests defines forest production functions as functions, of which benefits from forests, generally of material character and secured by growth and management forest production processes, are the results. Thus wood production is a mission of commercial forests by simultaneous provision of non-production forest functions.

Apart from production functions they fulfil other associated ecological and social functions, which forest management ensures by systematic activity, respectively by specific measures. Increased costs, respectively loss of production forest functions, accrue generally by execution of these activities.

Ecological functions fulfil all the forests. Forests, where this function is in chief, are declared as protective (P). Their function direction results form natural conditions. Security of permanent forest ecological functions is the target aim of their management.

Special purpose forests (S) have a priority to secure social functions of forests (society specific necessities, legal or natural persons), where as a consequence silvicultural system will be significantly changed in comparison to general system. Special management regime is carried out in protective forests (P). Compensation belongs to the owner or manager when the restriction of property rights arises by application of this special management. Compensation for the restriction of property rights is mandatory to provide the one, from whose demand the restriction becomes.


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Loss or decrease in return from wood production and other benefits from the

forest or increase in costs in comparison to general forest management comes by special management regime.

Table 2. Forest category

Abbreviation Forest category F. category description C COMMERCIAL FORESTS The main purpose is the

production of wood and other forest products by simultaneous provision of non-production forest functions

P PROTECTIVE FORESTS

Subcategories: a – forests on extremely unfavourable sites. b - high-elevation forests under upper forest limit. c – forests above upper forest limit with prevailing mountain pine composition d – other forests with prevailing soil conservation function

Forests, which were declared and their function direction results from natural conditions. The management system has to fulfil the purpose, on which forests were declared.

S SPECIAL PURPOSE FORESTS

Subcategories: a - forests in protection zones of water resources. b - health-resort forests. c - recreation forest. d - hunting forests. e – protected forests in protected areas f – forests under air pollution. g – forests assigned to forest research and education. h – forests for state defence necessities, military forests

Provision of society special necessities is their purpose. From this reason the management system is significantly changed in comparison to general management system in commercial forests. They have special management regime.

4.2 Nature protection influence on planning

Interests in nature protection, which is executed by Act no. 543/2002 on nature and land protection in Slovak conditions, most often overlap with forest management interests. Influence rate is given by a character of the protected area and protection degree, which result from the necessity of protection and development of the most valuable areas.


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National set of protected areas

Total area of specially protected areas (PA) up to 31.12.2005 is 1 135 277 ha including protection zones, what represents 23,2 % of the Slovak Republic area. (Report on forest management in the SR 2006). Set of the Slovak Republic protected areas consists of 9 national parks, 14 reservations and 701 small-scale protected areas. 6 national parks and 3 protected land areas are situated in Prešov and Košice region. They are figured in Pic. 3. Scarcity of both regions multiplies the presence of 320 of small-scale areas. Carpathian beech virgin forest interfering with Ukraine, narrows of the Slovenský raj and selected karstic valleys.

Pic. 3. Protected areas in Prešov and Košice region

Protected area Name Region Number on a map

National parks Tatranský NP Prešovský 1 Pieninský NP Prešovský 2 Poloniny Prešovský 3 Nízke Tatry Prešovský 4 Slovenský raj Košický 5 Slovenský kras Košický 6 Protected land areas Východné Karpaty Prešovský 7 Latorica Prešovský 8 Vihorlat Prešovský 9


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Set NATURA 2000

Member states of the EU establish a continuous ecological set of protected areas – NATURA 2000, independently from set of protected areas in the Slovak Republic. This should contribute to maintain biological diversity within the whole European Union. In April 2004 the Slovak Republic submitted to European Commission the national list of proposed bird areas (PBA) and the national list of areas of European significance (AES), in accordance with relevant legal rules, endorsed by the SR government resolution.

13 (area of 698 995 ha) of 38 proposed bird protected areas at the area of 1 236 545 ha (25 % of the SR area) is situated in Prešov and Košice.

107 (total area of 202 070,53 ha) of 382 proposed areas of European significance at the area of 547 745 ha (11,8 % of the SR area) is situated in both of regions. The final number and area of significant biotopes is not known yet, because European Commission decided about completing of the proposed list for other localities, significant for European society. Nature protection measures

Guidelines appoint the duty to avoid area damaging and the duty to verify the influence of any plan or project on the object of protection in the protected area, until the date of approval of proposed localities to the set NATURA 2000. Proposed set areas are considered to be like already declared.

No concrete measures on nature protection are subscribed in guidelines and thus it is not possible to specify individual aspects – cut restriction, clear cuttings range, intervention period and other. These should individual EU states provide by acquisition of statutory, administrative or contract actions when transposition of the guideline on biotopes is executed.

In the SR conditions this protection is carried out by Act no. 24/2006 on appraisal of influences on the environment and by Act no. 543/2002 on nature and land protection. Mentioned act determines five degrees of protection for territorial protection and the higher grade, the increased protection. In individual protection degrees the act determines prohibited activities and activities, which can be executed only with nature protection authority permission.

Another prohibited activities specific by individual localities such as felling prohibition in a given season, prohibition on any management activity near to nests of protected birds, probation on building, maintenance and repair of the forest road and so on, can be added on bird areas protection purpose.

In case, forest owner needs permission from nature protection authority for its activity, bears all costs in relation to its acquisition. Activities are mentioned in table 3. In time of FMP renewal it is possible to obtain a necessary permission from nature protection authority in the case when protected area there exists.

Compensation for restriction

Compensation for the restriction on general land management in an amount corresponding to this restriction belongs to the forest owner in accordance with §61 of the Act no. 543/2002 on nature protection.

Proposed areas to NATURA 2000 set partially overlap with existing set of PA in the SR (PBA 55,2 % and AES 86 %), and assumed compensation amount for the restriction on general management of forest lands was estimated at 245 mil SKK by PBA and at 15,6 mil SKK by AES yearly.


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Tab. 3. Nature protection influence on forest management activities. Protection

degree Prohibited activities Activities with permission from nature protection authority

1 • Without restriction • Without restriction

2

• Without restriction • Forest roads and skidding roads construction

• Hurdling of forest nurseries • Application of necessary

chemical agents to secure tree species protection against wildlife

3 • Plants collection (seedlings from

natural regeneration on purpose of plant material acquisition)

• Organizing of common hunts

• As in the second degree

4

• As in the third degree • Cut by clear cuttings • Application of necessary

chemical agents to secure tree species protection against wildlife

• As in the second degree • Tree species plant positioning

(to use artificial regeneration)

5

• As in the third degree • Intervention into the forest stand

and vegetation cover disturbace • Forest roads construction • Establishment of hunting

facilities, hunt and animal killing • The fifth degree generally

eliminates any activity

• As in the second degree • Tree species plant positioning

(to use artificial regeneration)

Planning in forestry and EU recommendations Forest designers and managers can have regard for these recommendations for biological diversity protection: Ø Security of protection of individual, mature, dead and decayed trees, which are

suitable biotopes for woodpeckers, predators, insect and lower plants. Ø Security of protection of trees with hollows for bird nesting and for burrows for

small mammals. Ø Security of protection of big trees and their surroundings, if they provide

nesting possibilities for predators. Ø To maintain water surfaces, springs, streams and another small wetlands as

peat lands and moor lands in the state, which allows reproduction of fish, amphibians, insect and so on., to avoid a massive water level oscillation, natural waterside damage and water contamination.

Ø Reasonably to zone large forest areas from the point of forestry, tourism and recreation, according to different forest management measures grades.

Ø To adopt decisions, which take into consideration biological diversity support by natural succession in potential interest areas, after the natural disasters as widespread wind throws and fires.


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Ø To assimilate the time schedule of silvicultural measures and cuts in a manner

to avoid their influence on sensitive animal species, mainly during the period of reproduction, spring nesting and care of forest birds for brood.

Ø To maintain adequate distance to prevent the disturbance of rare or endangered species, of which presence was certified in the area.

Ø To permit cyclic rotation of areas with different intervention grade in time and space.

Ø To weigh during the planting keeping of the part of afforested area for natural biotopes other than forest, as grassy areas for example on limestone, moors, peat lands, leas and other are. All can markedly enrich the total biological diversity of the area, because the occurrence of “transitions” (so called ecotones) between individual vegetation types will increase.

Ø To do not afforest a part of commercial stands and to create an opportunity for variability and scattered spontaneous regeneration by pioneer tree species.

Ø To secure regular monitoring of indigenous species occurrence, to which the appraisal of measures consequences will be enabled. Monitoring contributes to the awareness of rare and endangered animal and plant species presence.

It is necessary to project forestry measures to the forest management with regard

on the achievement of a concrete aim. By their implementation it is necessary to consider all forest functions and the restriction of some functions and those, which are valuable for owner to compensate reasonably. It is needed to proceed especially sensitively by private forests. It would be desirable to create different possibilities of easily available compensation, conventions, easement of taxation, expert help, of which use is not sufficiently practised at present time. 4.3 Long-term vision, target determination

For long-term vision and target determination of planning of forest management activity in Prešov and Košice region it is necessary to arise from the present state of planning characterised in Chapters 2 and 3, from the present level of forest owners relation to their property, (from the level of knowledge on their rights and duties, about possibilities which for property provides, about management possibilities and so on.) and the present state of land property ownership and land use arrangement.

Active participation of owners in the planning process is a precondition for functional planning process, which will not only site potential of the area valorisation and social requirements, i.e. public interest take into account, but also the relevant requirements of the forest owner.

Thus an active owner participation in planning process and elaborating of his

relevant requirements into the FMP is a vision of the planning process. In accordance with principles of the government program declaration and with the

National strategic plan for rural development for the period of 2007-2013 and adopted the SR government resolution no. 497 from 24 May 2006 , the long-term target to achieve this vision is:


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1. Increase of the proprietary awareness of forest land owners, of the level of

their expert knowledge and practice skills and thus to ensure their active participation on forest management plan formation as also on the formation of law, which are in relation to the management of their forest property.

2. Support of activities pertinent to forest management within rural diversification and thus to stimulate owners into planning, management and effective valorisation of their forest property.

3. Removal of disintegration and fragmentation of forest lands ownership arrangement and thus to permit to owners their more effective utilization.

4.4 Operations necessary to achieve this aim Following operations will have to be executed for ensuring the long-term vision: In accordance with the aim of the priority for the axis 1 of the National strategic plan of rural development for the period of 2007 – 2013: Ø To support expert education and counselling – support of expert education

and counselling carry out through the net of existing local and regional associations of non-state forest owners.

In accordance with the aim of the priority for the axis 1, axis 3, axis 4 of the National strategic plan of rural development for the period of 2007 – 2013: Ø To improve the technical equipment of forest management enterprises –

to improve the technical equipment of the subjects, which own and manage private, shared ownership, agriculture co-operatives and municipal forestlands.

Ø To support rural tourism development – by subjects, which own and manage private, shared ownership, agriculture co-operatives and municipal forest lands, support elaboration and own implementation of projects relating with tourism development, such as establishment of park and recreation forests, special paths and so on.

Ø To create and mobilize local action groups with the aim to support rural diversification in rural areas – to create local action groups, which will help by acquisition of people for new ideas and approaches in the field of development of rural forest enterprising, by cooperation with deputies of private, shared ownership, agriculture co-operatives and municipal forest lands owners and with deputies of public sector.

In accordance with the aim of the priority for the axis 1 of the National strategic plan of rural development for the period of 2007 – 2013: Ø To make better spatial and functional territory arrangement, to support

land ameliorations and to improve access to lands – municipalities and lands owners, which liable to land ameliorations will ensure inclusion of forest lands ( for example in process of preparation actions of land ameliorations, or by the request on land ameliorations execution from the reason of essential changes in property and use relationships, which results from the change of property and use relationships after 1991) into the land ameliorations periphery.


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4.5 Support network

Facts mentioned in Chapter 2.3 confirm why there are no supporting nets with the aim to motivate the owner in Slovakia, to have the forest management plan elaborated for the management in forest. They would be irrelevant, because law subscribes this duty and his voluntary decision is not possible.

State administrative authorities of the forest management carry out the state control. They watch, detect and control the observation of the Act on forests. Control of the forest management plan observation is a part of the control. Owner, manager or user of forestlands and a person entrusted to elaborate a plan are participants of the control. Deputies of other interested parties are invited in the case of necessity. Controls are executed after the FMP expire; in the case of necessity the state administrative authority decide on the execution of control during the FMP validity. Control of the FMP observation is a complex assessment of the forest management for a certain period of its validity. It consists of the office and outdoor control and it is aimed at the correctness of records administration, obligatory FMP data, secure of forests protection, total state and forest management level.

Medium-term conception of the agricultural policy for years 2004-2006 was adopted within state policy. A special attention was paid to non-state sector to secure the realization of conception intents within institutional preconditions formation. It was going about ensure of acceptance of forest owners and users by the elaboration of forest management plans and purposeful forest management. Ministry of Agriculture of the SR signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of forest management and hunting with Council of Slovak non-state forest owners associations, which represents non-state forestry subjects in Slovakia.

Merger of three contributory organisations, Forest research institute Zvolen, Forest management institute Zvolen and Institute for pedagogy and education of forest and water management workers of the SR to the National forest centre, was another action within institutional field. Increase in science-research activity effectiveness, better management of forest resources development, improvement of counselling mainly for non-state sector, implementation of lifelong education, as a rationalisation of works on forest management plans elaboration, or more flexible implementation of latest science and research results into the forest practice by forest regulation was pursued by this.


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4. 6 Monitoring, assessment and revisions of the planning process

In Slovakia monitoring, assessment and revisions of the planning process is a part of the formation, adoption, fulfilment and FMP observation control processes. These processes follow clauses of the Act on forests. Monitoring of the planning process represents:

- Activities connected with forest management record administration. Forest user is liable for ensuring of record administration on planned forest measures realization and on not planned activities and on measures carried out in the forest mainly on cut execution and forest silviculture, through the forest manager. Executive regulation modifies the details on forest management record administration.

- Activities connected to state control in forests. State administrative authorities of the forest management carry out state control within its territory scope, where also the control and detection of the valid FMP prescriptions (valid in the term of the administrative procedure) belong. Some FMP prescriptions, as for example cut amount, period for forestation and stand secure, regeneration tree species composition, have a limiting character for forest manager. Breaking these limits is classified, by the state administrative authorities of the forest management, as infringement of the Act on forests with the possibility of giving sanctions.

Assessment of the planning process represents: - Background documentation data on the forest management, which are

submitted by the FMP elaboration – “Report on actual management” (generally the management of the last 10 during the FMP validity). Report on actual management elaborates a person entrusted to elaborate FMP on the base of written documentation of the forest management record. The person entrusted to elaborate the FMP will monitor actual management on the base of forestation records, cleanings and other silvicultural activity, on the base of cut execution for the period of actual validity and will work out the overview of forestation, cleanings and other silvicultural activity, overview of executed cuts for the period of actual validity in comparison to prescription, a list of stands with allowed tasks displacement). These overviews become a part of the administrative procedure documentation on the FMP elaboration.

Revision of the planning process represents: - Early plan renewal. It is the elaboration of new plan before its expire date if

disturbance of the forest stands in such a proportion, that it is not possible to achieve intent and aims of the plan from the reason of influence of forest injurious agents in the forest unit. Ministry can decide on early plan renewal on the base of owner’s, manager’s or user’s letter of application.

- Change of the plan. Change of the forest categorization (change of the category on commercial forests, protective forests, and special purpose forests) or the change of prescribed total cut amount in terms of the § 43 of the Act on forests. State administrative authority of the forest management decides on the change of plan on the base of owner’s, manager’s, user ´s or resident state administrative authority letter of application.

- Plan modification. The plan modification is a different execution of the planned management measure with intention to improve the state and development of the forest stand in terms of the § 43 of the Act on forests. Plan modification is in scope of the forest manager, who will mark its execution in the plan.


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5. Key planning processes 5.1. Communication, information sharing between sectors organisations and groups.

Information on forests in Slovakia is centrally administered in the Institute of forest resources and information Zvolen, which is a part of the National forest centre in Zvolen.

This institute registers FMP records from the whole Slovak territory, constantly updates them and at the same time every owner, forest manager is obligatory from the act to send very detailed year records on executed works in the forest, about forest activity. It is going about permanent forest inventory of the Slovak forests.

Database of this data is open to public. Information is open to state organisations, self-government organisations, business sector, special interest civil associations (NGO), and natural persons and so on. Each citizen has a possibility to obtain detailed information on forests in Slovakia.

Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with National forest centre yearly elaborates so called Green report. Report involves a complex and detailed overview, complex information on the state and development of forests in Slovakia and on their management for corresponding year. After its approval the report is submitted as information source to the National council of the Slovak Republic, to members of parliament, and it is available to all Slovak citizens. It is published and available in English on the MA of the SR web page (www.mpsr.sk).

5.2 Consultation during plan preparation

State administrative authority summon a base errand to investigate the preliminary report and to elaborate the base protocol in time before the start of terrain works beginning for the elaboration of new FMP (generally for ten years period). This errand is opened to public and state administrative authority summons participants. This authority invites representatives of all interested subjects, which are known to him.

Following organisations and subjects are in Prešov and Košice region: Region and district department of the environment – on the base of standpoint of the State nature protection they submit a statement about protected areas occurrence, valid nature protection degrees, biotopes and bird areas occurrence – NATURA 2000 areas, and so on. Special interest civil associations (NGO) submit topics and proposals by these departments. Authority of the state water administration - they make statements on forest management activity in the zones of water resources protection in terms of the Act on water resources. Slovak water management enterprise, state enterprise – appropriate catchment’s areas

Water supply companies, Inc. - they will announce which important water resources and which catchments areas are situated on the area of object, they submit relevant

http://www.mpsr.sk)


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decisions on allowed intakes and they will announce the management conditions from technical-operation view of the water flow manager. Slovak roads administration, Railroads of the SR - in terms of the Act on road they submit a proposals for necessary tree cut endangering the road and railway communications and its volume and amount will be included into the forest management plan. National forest centre, Department of the forestry seed control – it gives the proposals for plus trees, seed plantations, seed stands and gene basis. The East Slovak electric station, Inc. – they will announce the number of power lines, width of electric corridors and their by law stated protection zones. This is also regarding the managers of other product lines, gas line, and pipeline. Cure companies and managers of the mineral water springs, Urban and municipal departments and alikes.

Commission on the base of the preliminary report, remarks of individual

members, occasionally of another presented persons and of the terrain errand to selected forest stands will elaborate the “basic protocol”. This contains the mandatory orders for FMP elaboration and the term of the FMP submission.

Individual essentials are continuously discussed with forest users, their forest managers and with deputies of interested subjects. Minute books will be written from sessions.

FMP elaborator will submit FMP concept to the corresponding state administration authority of the forest management a month before scheduled term of the final protocol procedure. Approval state administration authority will summon a final errand and generally the same persons will take a part as in the case of the basic errand.

Results of the plan investigation will be written into the final protocol, which contains evaluation of the submitted plan, requirement on its modification and occasional remarks after which fulfilment it is possible the approve the plan.

5.3 Evidence and plans revision Evidence of the plans is directed by legal norms: Ø Regulation of the Ministry of Agriculture of the SR no.31/1999 on forest

management evidence Ø Regulation no. 232/2006 on timber marking, marking of cut timber and timber

origin documentation.

It is separately recording: • Balance of the forestation duties according to forest stands • Stand evidence of the stand cut • Stand evidence of the stand forestation • Stand evidence of the silvicultural activities • Evidence of the total annual activities according to forest category • Balance record on forest management evidence • Record on executed management measure of the last year


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Forest user together with forest manager administer monthly first four evidence

records, other are submitted to the state authority once a year. Graphic evidence of all the regeneration cut, all the incidental felling and

extraordinary felling is also carried out. Records of evidence and graphic evidence are saved as a permanency. Another duty of the forest user is to register by special documents timber marking for cut in accordance with the forest stand, to give permits for cut and the give documentation on timber origin. (Detailed in Regulation no.232/2006 on timber marking, marking of cut timber and timber origin documentation). Revision of the planning process is elaborated in a detail in chapter 4-6.

6. Conclusion and recommendations 6.1 Relationship and effectiveness of planning framework

Ø Not effective utilization of statistical records provided by forest subjects in

serious extension, without real possibility of their use for economy planning of forest management, only one real information for owners, respectively forest managers (providers of statistical data) is quarterly published development of average wood prices, and continuous statistical data on cost development of forest activities by unit of measure

Ø Planning in the FMP is reduced on natural-technical characterization of the area of interest and determination of phyto-technological advances and indicators in technical measures without any relation to data utilization for planning processes in the social-economic field is its output

Ø Several forest characteristics detected within the planning process and relatively detailed are not substantial for forest owners (pedological, phytocenological characteristics) and are mostly usable in science-research activity and in frame planning and are less usable for forest manager practice

Ø Planning process is executed not differentially, without any regard on acreage, assumed range of activity and economical power of the management subject

Ø In Slovakia forest stands on agricultural lands exist apart from properly recorded area of forest stands and these stands are assigned to agricultural land what is out of accord with the real state; some of them are assigned as so called white areas and detailled detection of the area and forest state is not carried out there; the forest management plan is not elaborated for them and they are not properly forestry managed; at present it is not possible to detect their range and area in Košice and Prešov region, because there are no relevant background papers at disposal. See chap. 3.3


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6.2 Positive/negative impacts Positive impacts

Ø Systematic planning is a tool for proper forest management on behalf of its sustainable development securing

Ø High level of knowledge of forest sites potential is a starting point for planning of management measures to synchronize requirements on production and non-production forest functions fulfilment

Negative impacts

Ø High economy severity of planning process in the present form Ø Indemonstrable effectiveness of detailed planning for forest management

purposes Ø Absence of the evaluation methodology on social, respectively

environmental forest functions, Ø Absence of the management models and management measures plan,

which consider only commercial forest function, for purposes on comparison with management models and management measures plan considering other functions than commercial forest functions (non-production – so called social).

Ø By law restricted possibilities to change proposals from the forest owner – forest user in the process of plan elaboration,

Ø Audit of the planning control exclusively ensures state authorities, ministry and region forest bodies,

Ø Impossibility the choose a plan elaborator by selection process organised by state administration,

Ø Disunity in law regulations of the agricultural and environment departments by the management of planned measures between the ministry of the environment and ministry of the agriculture,

Ø Absence of economy analysis expressed by costs and revenues from planned measures on the forest unit,

Ø No solution to planning process funding (in accordance with act on forests, forest management plan should synchronize the owners interests, forest users and public interest).


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6.3 Key challenges

Ø Synchronisation of law concerning the management in forests and nature protection with European law

Ø Reduction in state regulation in planning and increase in active participation of forest manager by forest activities execution

Ø Revaluation of the protective forest and special purpose forests range and of substantiation of management restrictions in these forests

Ø To include simplified basic economy management model on the basis of average unit revenue and cost indicators, into the FMP as a part and it would be possible to upgrade it for individual management years, for example by index method

Ø To support the development of competition between FMP elaborators in the term of cheapening the FMP elaboration planning process

Ø Creation of the motivational environment on purpose of small owners joining into larger units

6.4 Opportunities/recommendations Opportunities

Ø High qualification of the forestry staff – FMP elaborators, state administration and forest managers (at minimal specialized secondary schools with examination)

Ø Continuous entrenching of non-state subjects on FMP elaborators market Ø Wide-spread database of statistical data and data from forest management

evidence Recommendations Ø To simplify the administration pretension of the planning process from the

owner view Ø To adapt planning process of the FMP elaboration to the area of forest

property and to assumed extent of activity in the forest Ø To expand the range of processed statistical information for information

regarding the development of the costs from forestry activities for measure unit and to secure their availability for forest owners and users

Ø To elaborate the treatment plans for protected areas on NATURA 2000 and other protected areas

Ø To elaborate the methodology – evaluation models on social functions´ fulfilment levels


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Ø Identify, revaluate and again determine the land sort on so called white areas

on behalf of forest economy potential use; to record these changes in cadastre, to detect forest lands conditions and to start manage them by a plan

Ø To support education and associating of forest owners and users on purpose of their activation to approach of FMP elaboration, respectively to opponency of the frame planning before venue starts

Ø To enable the forest owners and users to enter into a process of the FMP elaborator selection

Ø To include the possibility of industry plantations and energy stands planning into the planning process

Used sources of information : Zákon o lesoch č. 236/2006 Z.z. Vyhláška o hospodárskej úprave lesov č. 453/2006 Z.z. Programové ciele lesníctva do roku 2005, dokument MP SR 1999 Národný lesnícky program, Ministerstvo pôdohospodárstva, návrh, r. 2006 Správy o lesnom hospodárstve za roky 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 a 2006 (návrh), Ministerstvo pôdohospodárstva SR Analýza vývoja a súčasného stavu lesného hospodárstva Slovenskej republiky (1990-1998), Ministerstvo pôdohospodárstva, dokument, 1999


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Appendix 1.

PLANNING IN THE FOREST SECTOR

Case study within the private and public sector in the conditions

of Municipal forests Košice, Inc.


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Municipal forests Košice a.s., forest enterprise managing the forest property of

the Košice city, can be classed as the private sector and further to the urban and municipality forests subcategory in accordance with the ownership categorization in the Slovak Republic forestry, but in usual EU classification system it is going about public sector. The system of planning contains two special processes in the structure

- forest management plan - production-economic planning

Forest management plan represents a medium-term planning tool, which is consequently projected to short-term, generally year production-economic plans.

Basic principles of the forest management plan creation are stated in Act no.

326/2005, details are resolved in Regulation no. 453/2006 on forest management. Forest management plan is by act definition the tool of the state, owner, administrator and forest manager for the forest sustainable management (§40 Act on forests). Component parts of the forest management plan (further FMP) are mainly:

a) General part b) Compartments description c) Management measures plan d) Register of stand area e) Review tables f) Map of forest boundaries and stand map

Forest management plan on the area of Municipal forests Košice Inc. is created

as a summary of plans of individual forest use units (FUU), within the definition of Act no. 326/2005 on forests as possessory units. Individual plans are of the different area and period of validity, following:

FUU Area (ha) Validity of FMP (years) Sokoľ 3240 1999-2008 Čermeľ 4984 1999-2008 Opátka 3948 1999-2008 Lodina 5420 2004-2013 Kojšov 1840 2004-2013 Spolu 19432

Municipal forests Košice Inc. have also elaborated complex forest management plan for the whole area, which is the sum of data of individual FUU.


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Share of individual forest categories up to date 1 January 2006 on the total area

is following:

48%

15%

37%

Hospodárske(Commercial)

Ochranné(Protective)

Osobitného určenia(Special-purpose)

Share of forest category in Municipal forests Košice is above standard in

comparison to the SR condition, first of all in categories of special purpose forests and protective forests. Broadleaved species prevail in tree species composition to the extent of 83 %, 17 % represents coniferous species. Composition by individual tree species is following:

Plošné zastúpenie drevín v %Areal composition of tree species

BUK Beech54%

JEDĽA Fir 8% SMREK Spruce

6% BOROVICA Pine2%

SMREKOVEC Larch1%

HRAB Hornbeam7%

DUB Oak16%

CEN.LISTATÉValuable broadleaved

4%

OST.LISTNATÉOther broadleaved

2%


37

The most important production function is the production of wood mass.

Municipal forests Košice dispose of timber volume at the amount of 4.762 531 m3, with average volume of 253 m3/ha. Present logging possibilities represent 90 ths m3 a year of timber in the following cutting structure:

Type of cutting Coniferous (m3 ) Broadleaved (m3) Total (m3 ) Regeneration 13 000 55 000 68 000 Tending 2 000 20 000 22 000 Total: 15 000 75 000 90 000 Shelter wood system prevails in silvicultural systems up to 95 %. Other silvicultural systems, above all selection system and special-purpose have the tendency of increase in the future. Clear cutting system was sporadically planned and is almost not used in forest practice. FMPs elaboration and their approval

Forest management plans for Municipal forests Košice were elaborated by Lesoprojekt Zvolen, branch office in Košice, from 1.1.2006 National forest centre Zvolen. Approval of FMP was secured by state administration of forest management (nowadays Region forest authority Košice).

Detection of forest state and its development and forest management planning is

executed in these stages (§30 Reg. no. 453/2006): a) Detection of the complex forest state b) Frame planning c) Detailed detection of the forest state d) Detailed planning

Detection of the forest state is the detection of data on natural, societal, technical

and economical conditions on forest management and development. Urban forests are assigned to the forest region 28 Volovské vrchy, Čierna hora, subregions A Volovské vrchy, B Čierna hora.

Frame planning is the determination of the management model for the frame

planning unit. The unit of the frame planning is the management set. This one relates with forest category, forest sylvicultural system, site conditions, stand conditions and forest threats. Management model contains:

a) Management aim – tree species composition, target timber production, target stand structure

b) Basic management frame – silvicultural system and its forms, rotation period, regeneration period, period of the forest stand secure and return period

c) Management fundamentals – fundamentals of forest tending, forest regeneration, forest protection and forest reconstruction


38

Management models are the background for the plan elaboration and the

component of the plan elaboration fundamentals for corresponding forest unit and of the plan elaboration instructions. Detailed detection of the forest state is the detection of data on forest silvicultural system, management set, exposition and terrain slope, area, forest stand age, crop density, timber supply, tree species composition, mean height, mean diameter, site class and phenotype. Mean rotation increment, total mean increment and total current increment is mentioned in the plan for each forest category. Detailed planning is the determination of the management measures for compartments, partial plots, stand groups and storey for the period of plan validity. Tasks are determined within the management measures:

- forest regeneration - forest tending - cutting - forest-technical meliorations - forest protection

Determination and justification of cut amount Person entrusted with the elaboration of the plan proposes the utilization of the allowable cut indicator on basis of the carried out forest condition analysis mentioned in the General part of the FMP. Cut indicator 1/20 of the volume of last age class and older ones, at maximum 203.226 m3 of volume inside bark, was used for high commercial forests in the FUU Lodina. At same time the person entrusted with the elaboration of the plan worked out the proposal of the cut possibilities for next 6 decades (see Table).

Comparison of individual cut indicators Cut % Cut

indicator

MRI From

normal glade

1/20

1/30

4a

4b Average

4a

Rotation stand volume

Area Of

rotation stand

141501 136766 203226 184085 220181 182714 133115 409767 918 %cut ind. 72% 69% 103% 93% 112% 93% 68%

Outlook for indicator development - cut % Long-term average

2004-2013

2014-2023

2024-2033

2034-2043

2044-2053

2054-2063

133115 220181 173049 186858 196601 175688 108550 Advance by FMP elaboration and its approval is following (§ 35):

- Owner or the manager will announce the expire of the present plan validity (18 months before expire) to forest management state administration

- Contract on the plan elaboration with successful applicant forest management state administration will announce to the owner or manager 10 days after contracting at latest


39

- Background papers for elaboration of a report on management will be provided to

person entrusted to elaborate the plan until 31 January of the last year of FMP validity by forest manager

- FMP proposal is discussed with forest manager before its submission to region forest authority

- Data on changes in cadastre and on management for the period from the end of terrain works to the end of the last year of plan validity will be incorporated into the FMP proposal submitted to region forest authority until 15 December of the last year of plan validity before its approval

Competent authority for tasks relating with secure and organisation of FMP elaboration and its approval is Region forest authority Košice for Urban forests Košice, Inc. Specific requirements of the forest manager Municipal forest Košice assigned to person entrusted with FMP elaboration working out of specific appendices:

- Building and maintenance scheme of the Košice city forest park (valid for years 1999-2008) on Forest management units Sokoľ and Čermeľ

- Overview of natural and management conditions for Forest management units Sokoľ, Lodina, Čermeľ, Opátka, Kojšov elaborated in 2003. Overview contains climate, hydrological, typological, soil conditions, function types and overview of injurious agents and tree species damage

- Proposal on forest transportation network construction for years 2004-2013 on Forest management units Lodina and Kojšov. It represents the proposal of construction and reconstruction of forest roads of 1L and 2L types

Production-economic plan in conditions of Urban forests Košice Inc. introduces two planning tools named as: A/ Medium-term business plan for the period of 2003-2010 B/ Annual business plan – elaborated plan with validity for concrete calendar year A/ Medium-term business plan is periodically elaborated for the time period of 10 years. But it is timely modified by often request of the Košice city founder, which is represented by its bodies (plenary assembly, supervisory board). Actualization mostly corresponds with the election season. Complex forest management plan, eventually the necessity of solution to city special roles, also eventually material and financial needs of the city are the starting point for this kind of a plan. Planning of activities on the forest property has limiting possibilities of volume of production resulting from production cycle longevity, which is given by nature conditions (tree species composition, terrain conditions), legislative restrictions in meaning of the cut amount and restrictions stated in legal regulations on nature protection, water resources and product lines. Health condition of forest and calamity occurrence is also the limiting factor of planning on forest property. All these factors bring restrictions and limits to planning process and at same time the high rate of business success risk.


40

Against it the renewable resources (wood) and positive influence of forest

ecosystems on the environment is the evident advantage of business activities in forestry.

Distribution of classification of forest production and finally its volume and

financial planning (projects) is principally following: - project of silvicultural operations - project of nursery operations - project of logging operations including transport and handling and timber sorting - timber trade

Distribution of classification of other activities includes:

- game hunting project - project on forest park solicitude - project on split firewood production - project on reparations and maintenance of forest constructions (buildings, forest

roads) Project on employees care embodied within collective agreement and the plan of work with public and firm propagation are the follow-up concerns.

Plan of investment activity is a special chapter. This is a precondition to maintain and develop business activities in forestry operations and consequently other planned business activities, too. Investments plans in Urban forests Košice aim at machines and equipment innovation for timber transport, handling and timber sorting and terrain passenger traffic in the long term. Securing of ecologically suitable, efficient and operationally modest technique is the goal of these investments. Reconstruction and building of new forest roads and service plots by forest roads (forest depots, vehicle turns, lays-by) is a strategic intent from the long term point of view. Forest road communications are in the bad state (proportion of forest roads of 1L type is about 100 km, target proportion is 120 km until 2020) after the long term unsolved property rights question. Present actualization of Municipal forests Košice investment plans aims also at split firewood production, production of energy wood chips and game hunting intensification. Financing of the investment activity is secured by own sources (profit, depreciation), foreign sources (credits, loans) and serious proportion of investments is planned from EU funds support.


41

Views on management results for the period of 2003-2010 Achievement of following planned technical and value indicators is the starting point of the medium term plan.

Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Timber cut

(m3)

80 000

90 000

90 000

90 000

90 000

90 000

100 000

100 000 Average

price (SKK/m3)

1 425

1 425

1 460

1 500

1 530

1 560

1 560

1 580

Logging costs

(SKK/m3)

360

370

380

390

400

410

420

430

Costs on silvic. act.

(mil SKK/year)

10 000

10 300

10 600

10 900

11 300

11 600

11 900

12 500

Development of management results depends on existing external and internal factors:

- Planned increase in cut amount as a result of the approval of new FMPs after 2008 (Čermeľ, Sokoľ)

- Liberalization of forest law in the question of binding indicators - Positive development on timber market, stabilization of demand for timber

assortments and energy wood chips - Execution of permanent rationalization measures and of flexible organization firm

changes - Improvement of firm legal position (transformation to joint stock company), capital

facilities (increase of basic capital) - Resolution of a finances deficit in the city budget and cancel of right of lien on

forest property. B/ Annual business plan A structure of the annual business plan copies the medium term intent in main attributes. Annual project of silvicultural operations (2006) predicts following technical units of operations: - Slash disposal – 90 ha after final cuts - 22 ha in shelter wood felling

- Reforestation 19,5 ha - Protection of young plantations against weed 121 ha - Protection of young plantations against game 145 ha - Fencing 1 ha - Cleanings 309 ha - Liberation cutting 133 ha - Forest protection 424 ths SKK - Other silvicultural operations 1.582 ths SKK - Seed production 92 ths SKK


42

The project of felling operations comes out from the balanced cut of individual FUU, technological possibilities, stands condition and assumed situation in timber market. Felling plan by FUU: Sokoľ 10 000 m3

Čermeľ 18 100 m3

Opátka 21 500 m3

Lodina 24 500 m3

Kojšov 8 500 m3

Planned felling structure by type of cutting:

Type of cutting Coniferous (m3 ) Broadleaved (m3 ) Total (m3 ) Regeneration 6 700 54 100 60 800 Tending to 50 y. 600 7 400 8 000 Tending over 50 y. 400 7 100 7 500 Incidental 5 200 1 100 6 300 Total 12 900 69 700 82 600 Expectation cost on 1 m3 of complex wood production is 400 SKK/m3 and of wood transport 210 SKK/m3. Plan takes into consideration the average wood valuation 1500 SKK/m3. Business plan assumes the realization of following measures as well:

- Permanent rationalization of logistic operations in wood production - Optimalization of use of own capacities in wood transport for complex service to a

client - Testing application of new machine technologies in tending cuttings (harvesting

equipment, hauling trucks) - Optimalization in silvicultural operations (natural regeneration, slash disposal and

self-production of fuel wood) - Rationalization of fuel wood chips production, diversification of its marketing

methods - Rationalization of management and communication processes by the

implementation of new information system - Realization of new projects funded from available state budget resources or EU

funds Proposal of new financial plan is elaborated in following structure: Costs

1. Consumption of fuels, energy, other consumption 2. Repairs and maintenance 3. Rent 4. Services in the forest 5. Labour costs 6. Tax and charges 7. Other operation costs 8. Depreciation, reserves, reclamation entries 9. Financial costs


43

Returns

1. Returns from wood and wood products sale 2. Returns from services sale 3. Other operation returns 4. Reserves accounting and reclamation entries

Distribution of the economic result Revenues total Cost total Economic result before taxation Income tax Available profit Allocation of available profit

- Obligatory allocation to statutory reserve fund - Investments development - Allocation to social fund

Annual investments plan Investments plan is elaborated alternatively in last years because of the possibility to use sources for investment from EU funds and the state budget. Investments plan comes out from investment sources balancing. Investments plan for 2006 together with the support of profit projects from Sector operation programme (variant no.1) aims at acquisition of software – information system, technical assessment of buildings and roads, game preserve equipment and at fencing of young forest stands. Machine and transport investments consist of PC technique acquisition, mulch-laying machine and of the terrain car. Investments plan for 2006 together with the support of profit and non-profit projects from Sector operation programme (variant no. 2) is augmented for technical assessments – forest roads reconstructions in a value of 22 mil SKK in comparison to variant no.1.


44

Appendix 2.

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE FORESTS IN THE PREŠOV AND KOŠICE REGIONS

1. Overview of the forests according to categories 2. Overview of stand areas, standing volume and the mean volume according to the kind of ownership 3. Overview according to age class 4. Overview of the representation of particular tree species 5. Overview of the yearly felling 6. Overview of the yearly tasks 7. Maps


45

1. Overview of the forests according to categories Expanse and proportion of forests according to categories in the Prešov and Košice regions:

Forest area in ha Forest category Subcategory Košice

region % Prešov region % Regions

together %

Commercial 121 034 50,28 259 436 67,96 380 470 61,12 a 10 579 4,39 13 473 3,53 24 052 3,86 b 3 062 1,27 15 373 4,03 18 435 2,96 c 0 0,00 7 798 2,04 7 798 1,25

Protective

d 32 229 13,39 15 325 4,01 47 554 7,64 Protective together 45 870 19,05 51 969 13,61 97 839 15,72

a 4 490 1,87 9 275 2,43 13 765 2,21 b 118 0,05 513 0,13 631 0,10 c 5 807 2,41 2 744 0,72 8 551 1,37 d 2 408 1,00 828 0,22 3 236 0,52 e 4 610 1,92 20 487 5,37 25 097 4,03 f 55 055 22,87 23 623 6,19 78 678 12,64 g 0 0,00 1 159 0,30 1 159 0,19

Special – purpose

h 1 334 0,55 11 692 30,6 13 026 2,09 Special-purpose together

73 822 30,67 70 321 18,42 144 143 23,16

Indeterminable 14 399 ha 36 799 ha 51 198 ha Stand area - area of forest land 255 125 ha 418 525 ha 673 650 ha

Area of forest land 263 244 ha 440 432 ha 703 676 ha

Source: Institute for Forest Resources and Information Zvolen

Košice region Prešov region Regions together Area of forest lands per capita 0,34 ha 0,56 ha 0,45 ha

Woodenness 38,98 % 48,95 % 44,68 %


46

Commercial, protective and special – purpose forests :

Košice region

50%

19%

31%

H O U

c

Prešovský kraj

68%

14%

18%

H O U

c

Košice and Prešov

61%16%

23%

H O U

c

Legend: H - commercial forests O - protective forests U - special-purpose forests

The survey makes it possible to compare the forest categories in the Prešov and Košice regions with the Slovak average. Within the Slovak Republic the category of commercial forests represents 67,7 %, the category of protective forests represents 17,0 % and the category of special-purpose forests represents 15,3 %.

The proportion of commercial forests in the Prešov region is 67,9 %, i.e. on the level of the Slovak Republic, the category of protective forests (13,6 %) is slightly under the average and the category of special-purpose forests (18,4 %) is slightly above the average.

Only 50,3% of the forests in the Košice region are categorised as commercial forests (H), i.e. substantially less than the Slovak average. The proportion of protective forests (19,5%) is above the average and the proportion of special-purpose forests is twofold. The above mentioned forest categorization surveys show that in forest management planning ecological and non-wood-producing functions of the forest were fully taken into consideration on the territory of both regions.

The mean woodenness of the Slovak Republic is 41%. The woodenness of the Košice region (39 %) is slightly under the Slovak-wide average. As it is evident from the situation in Picture 1, the East Slovak Lowland in the eastern part of the region has agricultural production and a minimum of forest stands area. The Prešov region is more evenly woodened and its woodenness is substantially over the average, it reaches up to 49%.


47

The proportion of protective forest subcategories :

Košice regionOverview of the forests according to

category O

23%

7%

0%70%

a b c d

c

Prešov regionOverview of the forests according to

category O 26%

30%15%

29%

a b c d

c

Košice and Prešov regionsOverview of the forests according to category O

19%

8%

48%

25%

a b c d

c

Legend: O - protective forests

a - forests in extreme location. b - upper forests near the upper tree line. c - forests above the upper tree line with dominance of dwarf pine d - other forests with the primary function of protecting the soil


48

Overview of the subcategories of special-purpose forests :

Košice region

6% 0% 8%

6%

75%

2%0%3%

a b c d e f g h

c

Prešov region

13%1%

29%33%

2%17%

1%

4%

a b c d e f g h

c

Košice and Prešov regionsOverview of the forests according to category U

10% 0% 6%2%

17%

55%

1% 9%

a b c d e f g h

c

Legend: U – special-purpose forests

a - forests in water protection zones b - spa forests c - health-resort forests d - forests with approved game reserves e - national park forests f - forests under influence of air pollutants g - forests for forestry research and forestry education h - forests for state defence needs, military forests


49

2. Overview of stand areas, standing volume and the mean volume according to the kind of ownership

In both regions the state forests occupy the largest area. In the Prešov region the community owned forests (associations of forest owners, i.e. shared ownerships) are the second biggest. There is a frequent occurrence of the municipal forests in the Košice region. This fact is mainly influenced by the size of Municipal forests of Košice, particularly the second biggest town forest in Europe. Compared to the Košice region, the area owned by unknown owners in the Prešov region is significantly bigger. PREŠOV REGION Ownership Area [ha] % Volume

[m3] % Mean volume [m3/ha]

Church 12 571 3,0 3 154 715 3,8 251,0 Unknown 36 799 8,8 6 307 382 7,5 171,4 Municipal 29 406 7,0 6 189 483 7,4 210,5 Community 125 237 29,9 23 112 646 27,6 184,6 State 175 343 41,9 37 104 454 44,3 211,6 Private 39 169 9,4 7 799 724 9,3 199,1 Together 418 525 100 83 668 404 100 199,9

Total current increment : 2 351 829 m3 / year Source: Institute for Forest Resources and Information Zvolen

Prešov regionForests according to ownership

3% 9%7%

30%42%

9%

church unknow municipal community state private

c

Prešov regionForests according to volume

4% 8%7%

28%44%

9%

church unknow municipal community state private

c


50

KOŠICE REGION

Ownwership Area [ha] % Volume [m3] % Mean volume

[m3. ha] Church 12 467 4,9 2 769 258 4,7 222,1 Unknown 14 400 5,6 2 437 429 4,1 169,3 Municipal 63 523 24,9 15 753 202 26,7 248,0 Agriculture co-operatives 228 0,1 55 371 0,1 242,9 Community 53 959 21,2 11 665 654 19,7 216,2 State 96 904 38,0 23 554 227 39,9 243,1 Private 13 644 5,3 2 853 526 4,8 209,1 Together: 255 125 100 59 088 667 100 231,6

Current total increment : 1 435 619 m3 / year Source: Institute for Forest Resources and Information Zvolen

Košice regionForests according to ownership

5% 6%

25%

0%21%

38%

5%

church unknow n m unicipal agriculture co-operatives community state private

c

Košice regionForests according to volume

5% 4%

27%

0%20%

39%

5%

church unknown municipal ulture co-operatives community state private

c

The Prešov region has comparing to the Košice region significantly more area owned by unknown owners. An unknown owner means that no data about the ownership exists or about the owner (in the land register inset, in the land registry, or there is no information about the owner’s residence).


51

3. Overview according to age class

These are the most important overviews in the forest management planning. On

their basis and evaluation can be a hypothetical development determined, a forecast of felling for more decades in advance.

Age class Region

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15+

Košice Area [ha] Actual area 16 573 18 317 13755 14 206 14 112 23 480 25 046 28 926 34 404 26 952 17 092 9 795 4 956 2 510 4197

% 6,52 7,2 5,41 5,59 5,55 9,23 9,85 11,37 13,53 10,6 6,72 3,85 1,95 0,99 1,65

Ideal area 21 160 21 160 21 160 21 160 21 160 21 160 21 160 21160 21 160 21 160 18 616 13 326 8 037 2 772

% 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 7,32 5,24 3,16 1,08

Prešov 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15+

Actual area 30 561 47 164 39 513 35 090 31 723 37 085 38 210 33 711 33 650 33 083 19 292 10 663 7 547 5 910 12 206

% 7,36 11,35 9,51 8,45 7,64 8,93 9,2 8,12 8,1 7,96 4,64 2,57 1,82 1,42 2,94

Ideal area 34 562 34 562 34 562 34 562 34 562 34 562 34 562 34 562 34 562 34 562 30 408 21 767 13 127 4 486

% 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 7,32 5,24 3,16 1,08

Together: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15+

Actual area 47 134 65 481 53 268 49 296 45 835 60 565 63 256 62 637 68 054 60 035 36 384 20 458 12 503 8 420 16 403

% 7,04 9,78 7,95 7,36 6,84 9,04 9,45 9,35 10,16 8,96 5,43 3,05 1,87 1,26 2,45

Ideal area 55 721 55 721 55 721 55 721 55 721 55 721 55 721 55 721 55 721 55 721 49 024 35 094 21 163 7 233

% 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 8,32 7,32 5,24 3,16 1,08

Since regeneration felling is most frequently being used on the territory of both

regions, which means that there has been cultivation on the clearings - areas, usually bigger than one stand height, an auxiliary indicator - the ideal felling area – is used in need of balancing the felling possibilities, respectively long-term felling. The ideal state for a forest manager is to own a forest, where he has a balanced composition of age classes and therefore he is able to fell an equal quantity of wood mass in balanced time interval. Therefore, by planning a balanced forest felling, the following main elements of time management are being used: felling maturity, felling age, felling interval, regeneration period, actual and ideal composition of age classes, ideal clearing and others.

Actual composition of age classes denotes areal composition of forest stands determined by a detailed examining of the forest condition.

Ideal yearly clearing is a proportion of overall stand tract and the mean felling age extended by one year. In case that the area by age classes is under the level of the ideal clearing area, then the felling resources will be short in the given time period. The area by actual age classes over the level of the ideal clearing area predicts a higher level of felling resources in the given time period. This is important primarily for strategic decision making.

In case of the Košice region the ideal clearing area of the age class is 21 160 ha (8,32%) and the first five age classes are substandard (from 5,41% to 7,20%).


52

But the next five age classes can be denoted as considerably above the standard

(from 9,23% to 13,53%). Especially the 9th age class is considerably over the overall level and represents a 5,31% increase of felling resources in a short time period of 10 years in actual areas, i.e. an increase of felling resources by nearly 64% ( 5,31/8,32* 100) per 1 ha on the assumption of a constant wood mass stock. The increased proportion of the age class comparing to the other age classes is also indicated by historic facts in the forest sector at that time and it is evident that these stands originated 90 years ago and there was increased felling on the territory of this region

at that time. We can only assume that various historic events from that time period (World War I, the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Slovak Soviet Republic, 1. agrarian reform etc.) caused an increased attack on forest resources.

The situation in the Prešov region is significantly more balanced, because there are only minimal differences, approximately up to 1%, with the exception of 2nd age class (11,35%) by the level of the ideal clearing area of the age class, 34 562 ha (8,32%). This level indicates that there was a higher usage of forest resources in this region between 11-20 years ago. Comparing to Slovak conditions, felling resources of the region, also because of the difficulty of outbalancing the felling of clearing based forest management, will be preciously balanced (10th age class - 7,96%, 9th age class - 8,10%, 8th age class - 8,12%) for a longer period of time. There will be a slight increase in felling resources after this period, 7th age class - 9,20% and 6th age class - 8,93%.

The total evaluation for both regions, where the level of the ideal clearing by age class is on the level of 55 721 ha, represents the expectation of a strong increase in felling volume in case of the Košice region and nearly optimal distribution of age classes in the Prešov region. In the next five decades slight increases in felling volume are expected (approximately up to 1% of the area, when recalculated on the total volume of the felling, an increase of 15% can be assumed) except for the possibilities of the 9th age class (10,16%), where the increase of felling volume represents up to 22% at an 1,84% increase of the actual area by age class.

These positive trends in the development of felling possibilities represent a basis for optimistic expectations in forest resources and an opportunity for investors and businessmen to be highly interested in the territory of both regions.


53

Overview according to age class :

Prešov region

7,36

11,359,51

8,457,64

8,93 9,28,12 8,1 7,96

4,64

2,571,82 1,42

2,94

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

age class

age

clas

s pe

rcen

tag

acctual area ideal area

c

Kosice region

6,52 7,25,41 5,59 5,55

9,23 9,8511,37

13,53

10,6

6,72

3,851,95 0,99 1,65

02468

10121416

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

age class

age

clas

s pe

rcen

tag

actual area ideal area

Košice and Prešov

7,04

9,78

7,957,36 6,84

9,04 9,45 9,3510,16

8,96

5,43

3,051,87

1,262,45

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

age class

age

clas

s pe

rcen

tag

actual area ideal area

Note: The age class is the age of the stand, i.e. age class 1 is the age 1-10, age class 2 is the age 11-20 etc.


54

4. Overview of the representation of particular tree species

In both regions there is a dominance of deciduous species with predominance of beech.

In the Košice region there is a significant occurrence of oak. In the Prešov region there is a higher occurrence of coniferous species, especially spruce. The reason is that the Tatra National Park is located in the territory of the Prešov region and the region is located in the north from the Košice region, therefore a difference in climate is possible. From the coniferous species the fir has the second highest occurrence in both regions.

From the economic point of view this proportion is favourable. Economically important tree species have a dominant number and the wood is expected to be desired also in the future.

The mentioned tree species constitution is a proof of the fact that the forests were and are being managed in accordance with the rules for nature-close management and biodiversity protection. The naturally mixed forests in the territory of the Carpathians are characterised by comprising mainly forest species of beech, fir and spruce.

Forest species Distribution [%] Košice region Prešov region

Spruce 17,93 22,33 Fir 7,33 5,31 Pine 3,60 6,20 Larch 1,76 4,64 Mountain pine 0,01 1,67 Other coniferous 0 0,06 Coniferous together 30.63 40.21 Oak 16,36 4,25 Turkey oak 0,35 0 Beech 35,80 41,66 Hornbeam 9,11 5,53 Maple 1,77 2,37 Ash 1,67 0,82 Elm 0,05 0,05 Acacia 0,47 0,10 Birch 1,75 2,99 Alder 0,45 1,02 Lime 0,58 0,20 Domestic poplar species 0,27 0,50 Hybrid poplar species 0,42 0,01 Willow 0,09 0,05 Other deciduous 0,23 0,29 Deciduous together 69.37 59.79 Source: Institute for Forest Resources and Information Zvolen


55

5. Overview of the yearly felling

Overviews of the yearly felling are principal information for the economy and

efficiency of the forest sector. In both regions a yearly felling is planned on a 58 % level of the total current

increment. It means that the total wood stock will grow remarkably in the future. Economic stability, intensification of wood production and the ecological sustainability of the forest is secured by strategic management.

In the Košice and Prešov regions there is a significant potential for increasing economic efficiency of the forest sector. In forestry developed EU countries the level of the mean yearly felling is higher than 75 % of the annual increase. Therefore the sustainability of the economy is expected to be secured also by higher yearly felling than we have today.

Region Košice Prešov Together

Ownership Yearly felling [m3] [%] Yearly felling

[m3] [%] Yearly felling [m3] [%]

Church 37 306 4,48 48 249 3,55 85 555 3,90 Unknown 25 596 3,07 95 520 7,02 121 116 5,52 Municipal 27 1068 32,56 99 568 7,32 370 636 16,91 Agricultural co-operatives 228 0,03 228 0,01 Community 139 051 16,70 381 060 28,02 520 111 23,72 State 327 757 39,36 579 820 42,64 907 577 41,40 Private 3 1638 3,80 155 513 11,44 187 151 8,54 Together 832 644 100 1 359 730 100 2 192 374 100

% out of: The total volume 1,41 1,63 1,54

TCI 58,00 57,82 57,899 Source: Institute for Forest Resources and Information Zvolen TCI – total current income


56

Overview of the planned yearly felling :

Prešov and Košice

4% 6%

17%

24%

40%

9%

church unknown municipal community state private

Prešov region

4% 7% 7%

0%

28% 43%

11%

church unknown municipal agriculture community state private

c

Košice region

4% 3%

33%

0% 17%

39%

4%

church unknown municipal agriculture communitz state private

c


57

6. Overview of the yearly tasks

The basic task of the planning process and its realisation – Forest Management Plan (FMP) is a detailed assessment for forestry tasks for every forest stand. It is a plan of economic arrangements in the forest from reforestation, forest protection, shelterwood felling, improvement felling and forest regeneration.

Regarding the efficiency of the forest sector it is important that the regeneration felling in both regions is on the level of 82 % out of the total felling. The felled wood mass from the regeneration felling is generally better valued and normally the costs for fulfilment are lower.

The data about the assumed rejuvenation is also important for regeneration felling. In the Prešov region it is on the level of 50 % and in the Košice region up to 63 %. These facts are a proof that the forests are being managed in accordance with the rules for nature-close management and biodiversity protection.

Task m.

jed. Košice region

% out of total

felling Prešov region

% out of total

felling Together

% out of total

felling

Yearly regeneration felling

conniferous 279 956 33,62 386 758 28,44 666 714 30,41 Yearly regeneration felling

deciduous 403 450 48,45 725 498 53,36 1 128 948 51,49 Yearly regeneration felling

conniferous and deciduous 683 406 82,08 1 112 256 81,80 1 795 662 81,90 Yearly improvement felling

coniferous 41 060 4,93 77 242 5,68 118 302 5,40 Yearly improvement felling

coniferous deciduous 108 178 12,99 170 232 12,52 278 410 12,70 Yearly improvement felling

coniferous and deciduous 149 238 17,92 247 474 18,20 396 712 18,10 Total yearly felling

coniferous 321 016 38,55 464 000 34,12 785 016 35,81 Total yearly felling

deciduous 511 628 61,45 895 730 65,88 1 407 358 64,19 Total yearly felling

coniferous and deciduous

m3

bez

kôr

y

832 644 100 1 359 730 100 2 192 374 100

Felling tract 1 842 3 266 5 108 Multiple thinning tract –

improvement felling 6 719 11 240 179 595 Multiple shelterwood felling

tract 3 669 9 084 12 753 Reforestation first and

repeated 305 899 1 204 Reforestation from felling

plan 1 790 3 037 4 827 Reforestation together 2 095 3 936 6 031 from that is rejuveniation

ha

1 132 1 511 2 643 % rejuvenation from felling

plan %

63 50 55

Source: Institute for Forest Resources and Information Zvolen

component iii. forest managemnet · control elements of planning 10 2.1. ... this results in...

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