Catalan forest area represents 61% of its territory, with a high diversity of species, and 600 000 ha of them were declared Nature 2000 sites. Woodland area is of 1.2 million hectares and constitutes the forest area jointly with thicket, bushes and meadows. 73% of the forest area is owned by private forest owners and in some counties forest areas in hands of private forest owners can reach more than 90% of the total forestry surface. The decrease of profitability of the forest areas has led to a reduction of the annual wood fellings and, consequently, an increase of the round-wood and timber stock up to 3.1 million m3 per year. This situation implies an increase of competition for the existing resources, basically water if we take into account that we refer to a Mediterranean habitat, and generates the weakening of the forest that faces a bigger risk of wildfire and pests.
An active Sustainable Forest Management with and holistic view of the forest is required to sustain not only the biodiversity and the productive potential of timber and round-wood, but also of non-wood products as pinecones, cork, game or mushrooms.
Forest surface:
2 million hectares = 61%
THE INSTITUT AGRÍCOLA CATALÀ DE SANT ISIDRE (IACSI)
The Institut Agrícola Català de Sant Isidre (Institut Agrícola), founded in 1851, is a private enterprise organization not financed by any Public Administration that represents the private forest and farm land owners and works preferentially in the area of Catalonia.
The Institut Agrícola actively participates in decision-making processes concerning forest and environmental policies with the aim to ensure three pillars: maintenance and further development of private property, its productive potential and entrepreneurial freedom.
The purpose of the Institut Agrícola is facilitate that forest and farm land owners enjoy the freedom to use their right to generate income, business and wealth from their professional skills, preserving at all times the property and its uses, their particular and community heritage and their cultural and natural values. To do that, Institut Agrícola is a member of State and European enterprise organization to protect his members interests on forest and farmland.
President: Baldiri Ros i Prat
Website: www.institutagricola.org/en
E-mail: info@institutagricola.org
Address:
Plaça Sant Josep Oriol, 4
08002 Barcelona, Spain
Phone: +34 933 011 636