Ukraine is preparing to transition forest management to nature-based forestry standards. The transformation is set to begin as early as 2027, starting with the forests of the Ukrainian Carpathians.
This was announced by the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine.
The importance of the transition
The State Forestry Agency acknowledges that Ukraine’s forests are currently facing major challenges. On the one hand, there is climate change, which is causing droughts, extreme weather events and the spread of harmful organisms. On the other hand, there is public demand. The state needs timber, whilst also requiring the preservation of biodiversity and climate stability.
The agency is therefore convinced that traditional approaches are insufficient to tackle these challenges. To this end, Ukraine intends to create forests that are as close as possible to natural ones: multi-layered, mixed and of varying ages.
Why does Ukraine need new forestry practices?
The transition to close-to-nature forestry management brings several advantages at once:
- adaptation to climate change. Mixed forests with trees and shrubs of different ages and heights are more resilient to weather fluctuations;
- higher biological resistance to pests and diseases;
- preservation of biodiversity through the structural heterogeneity of stands, which can serve as habitats for a greater variety of flora and fauna;
- economic feasibility due to reduced costs for forest establishment and lower losses from natural disasters;
- integration of EU norms, as the new approach complies with the European Forest Strategy and other regulatory acts.
Procedural preparation
According to the State Forest Agency, several important documents necessary for the transition have previously been adopted. Among them:
- Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians – in 2004;
- State Forest Management Strategy until 2035 – in 2021. Among other things, this document calls for the gradual abandonment of clear-cutting in certain forest types;
- Close-to-Nature Forestry Strategy – in 2025. Adopted by SE "Forests of Ukraine," it envisages the gradual abandonment of traditional clear-cutting in favor of selective and gradual harvesting.
This has created an international legal basis for the transition to nature-oriented forestry. At the same time, for the practical implementation of measures, foresters are undergoing specialized training – both in Ukraine and in the European Union, where they acquire international experience.
It should be noted that in most regions of Ukraine, visiting forests is currently prohibited due to the extremely high level of fire risk.
