The EU Commission has published two new guidelines to incentivise and reward sustainable forest practices. The “closer to nature” guidelines aim to strengthen forest multifunctionality and resilience to climate change, while fostering long-term economic and other societal benefits. The guidance on payment schemes for forest ecosystem services presents a variety of ways in which land managers, including foresters, may derive monetary benefits from the provision of the different ecosystem services. The two guidelines are key deliverables of the EU Forest Strategy.
The closer to nature guidelines follow from the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the EU Forest Strategy 2030. The guidelines are on a voluntary basis but they present a useful standard for our Forest Friends advocacy around sustainable forestry management in Ireland. The guidelines also provide important context for the EU Forestry Strategy.
Forest Friends Ireland 