1. SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT IN SPAIN
Pablo Valls Donderis (Polytechnical University of Valencia - Spain)
Lenka Jakesová (Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno – Check Republic)

3. Definitions
Forest Management: it is the CURRENT situation. It includes both the regulations for the forest activity and the processes that happen in the forest areas. It occurs in different levels: central and regional governments, counties and forest management units
Sustainable Forest Management (SFM): it is the DESIRABLE situation. SFM accounts for the social, economic and environmental aspects surrounding the forest activity.
SCOPE of the research: forest management in Spain

4. Where we are
The work displayed represents the starting point of a longer research
Objectives of the research:
To define sustainability criteria for the Mediterranean forests
Carry on a trial forestry management plan applying the criteria defined

5. Objectives of this work
To find out SFM requirements and their consideration in forest management
To find out the difficulties of forest management in Spain to achieve SFM
To find out the chances of forest management in Spain to achieve SFM
To define proposals to make forest management more sustainable

6. Revision
Standards of forest certification systems in Spain (PEFC; FSC) To find out SFM Requirements
Spanish forest management rules and instruments To find out the difficulties and chances of current forest management to achieve SFM

7. SFM has to:
Contribute to rural development and improve life quality of local population
Preserve the natural resources: soil, water, biodiversity, habitats and landscape
Regulate forest fires prevention and extinction
Fight against forest pests and diseases
Be planned

8. Difficulties for SFM: Due to Mediterranean ecosystem characteristics:
Low productivity of forests
Forest fires and heavy rains
Due to regulations and bureaucracy:
Small size in general of forest private property
Lack of guidelines of SFM
Lack of interaction between forest planning and land planning
Higher management costs when applyig sustainability criteria
Lack of economic incentives for the positive externalities

9. Chances for SFM:
Prescriptions included in the Spanish Forest Management Plans Rules
European Forest Strategy, Spanish Forest Strategy and Spanish Forest Plan
Rules for the protection of natural resources and landscape: Habitats Directive (Europe), law 42/2003 on natural resources and biodiversity (Spain)
European Directives to promote rural development
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process to approve public plans and programmes

10. Method Questionnaire to experts in forest management
Questions to answer:
1. SFM requirements
2. forest management difficulties for SFM
3. forest management chances for SFM
4. consideration of the requirements in current forest management
5. proposals for improvement
Respondents: group >60 experts selected from universities, governments, enterprises, research centres and certification systems

12. Results

13. Relevant SFM requirements:
Management planning at different scales
Natural resources protection: soil, water, biodiversity
Rural development.
SFM requirements taking place currently:
Forest fires prevention and extinction regulations
Natural resources protection
SFM requirements less considered currently:
Landscape management
Rural development

14. Relevant difficulties for SFM:
Lack of compensation for the positive externalities
Small size of forest private property
Comments: lack of SFM guidelines, the problem is not the existing information but the available resources
Other difficulties considered:
Lack of social awareness
Economic context: low added value of products
Amount of legislation which is not always well connected

15. Significant chances for SFM:
Basic criteria of forest management that establish the Forest Management Plans Rules (maintenance of the forest cover, profitability and best use of different products and uses)
Guidelines for the protection from forest fires and pests
Guidelines for landscape and biodiversity conservation that establish the same rules

16. All the proposals are considered to be relevant except the application of EIA process
Comments: government paper reinforcement, it is central to consider that much intervention could happen against willingness to manage
Other proposals considered:
Economic incentives
Marketing strategies
More research to renew the management
Forest policies steady and flexible

17. Conclusions SFM adds new requirements to traditional management
However the importance it is given to SFM, some of its important requirements are not widely considered in forest management
The first step towards SFM is that management takes place. This does not happen mainly because:
The low productivity and the small size of properties: LOW PROFITABILITY OF THE FOREST
THE SHORTCOMINGS IN CURRENT LEGISLATION: the lack of interaction between land planning and forestry and the amount of incoherent laws affecting forest areas
In order to overcome these difficulties:
From governments: constant funding and proper legislation
Marketing strategies focused in all forest products apart from wood so that forest activity becomes more independent from public sector

18. What to do next
Second questionnaire to more accurately define the concepts
To check where there is a gap in the management to work on it: results show that lack of guidelines is not the main problem for SFM
To carry on with the research