Since 2002, the forest area in Germany has increased by about 50,000 hectares.
On the occasion of the International Forest Day on 21 March 2019, the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, went to see the situation on site.
"The storm damage in winter, in summer, then the prolonged drought, plus the bark beetle infestation - last year was a disaster year for our forests, the damage is worrying. In 2018, more than 30 million cubic metres of damaged wood accrued. This is the fourth most severe damage event in German forestry in the past 30 years," the Minister said. "The continuing, serious bark beetle infestation will also lead to the death of more forest areas, and the exact extent of the damage caused will in some cases only be foreseeable in a few years' time.
Protecting the forest as much as possible is important. Because our forest fulfils a number of crucial tasks. It is a protector of the climate, a supplier of wood, a preserver of biodiversity and a place of recreation for citizens. For this reason, the BMEL will continue to work with the Länder to ensure that sufficient aid is available for clearing and reforesting damaged areas.
Source: BMEL press release no. 65 of 21.03.19
Keywords: Stakeholders, Building materials / Construction, Greening / climate adaptation, Soil & land consumption, DE-News, Wood construction, Environmental policy, Ecology
