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HealthyForestRegions

Project overview

Healthy Forest Regions: Supporting Healthy Forest ecosystems for human well-being in forest Regions

Forests are complex ecosystems that store carbon, preserve soils and nurture many animal and plant species. But negligence and unsustainable forest management practices endanger their health and risk biodiversity loss. The HealthyForestRegions project develops concepts to strengthen the commitment of key policy stakeholders to better safeguard forest ecosystems. The partnership also tests new tools and solutions for the transition to ecosystem-based forest management in six regions.

2,78m €

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

6

Countries

8

Regions

9

Partners

7

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

33%

About the project

- Cooperating for a greener central Europe - The main Goal of HealthyForestRegions is the preservation and safeguarding of healthy forests in participation with renowned project partners throughout Europe for Life and human well-beeing. The Project is devided in 3 Workpackages -WP's, to take Action. WP1: "Enabling local Stakeholders, decision-makers and the local population to safeguard forest ecosystem functionality.” With the development of an Interpretation plan for Healthy Forest Regions, the Content will be prepared according to the target groups and a communication strategy will be developed. Further awareness about the contribution of Forest ES to Human well-being is raised via educational work in Educational institutions and with the local population (e.g. Forest classroom). With the implementation of pilot actions, forest ecosystem services (other then timber) are made accessible for the sustainable regional development (e.g. recreation & tourist packages (e.g. nature therapy, forest rally tour.) WP2: "Offering an alternative income generation for local and regional forest owners and managers.” Through regional studies to Forest Ecoystem Service provision awareness is raised about the opportunities of forest Ecosystem Services, as alternative income source for sustainable regional development. By developing alternative forest management plans to prioritize Forest Ecosystem Services, overall Forest Health will increase with all its benefits. Sustainable Regional Development is promoted by the Implementation of new forest based schemes of Payments for ecosystem services (PES) WP3:" Developing operational frameworks for safeguarding forest ecosystem functionality in Healthy Forest Regions” With the help of newly developed spatial analysis methods, Forest Health is analysed in a regional context and an Index is developed. This, together with the conducted analysis of the regional Institutional Framework, will enable a deepened participatory process leading to regional strategies for safeguarding forest ecosystem functionality. The General Target is to create a commitment of policy- and decision- makers and key stakeholders for enhancing forest ecosystem functionality: to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) for human well-being, to strengthen sustainable regional development, to Operationalize potential of capitalizing on forest ES for local/regional benefits,to Develop solutions for a transition to ecosystem-based forest management.

Project partnership

Project partners

Deutschland (DE)

Lead partner

Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development

Faculty of Forest and Environment, Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management, Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management
Address
Schicklerstrasse 5
16225 Eberswalde
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
www.hnee.de, www.centreforeconomics.org

Project partner

Address
Markt 35
8933 Sankt Gallen
Country
Austria (AT)
Web
www.eisenwurzen.com
Total partner budget
469,704 €
Address
T.G. Masaryka 22
960 01 Zvolen
Country
Slovakia (SK)
Web
https://web.nlcsk.org
Total partner budget
339,159 €
Address
Večna Pot 2
1000 Ljubljana
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
www.zgs.si
Total partner budget
538,711 €
Address
Rathaus - Markt 24
16278 Angermuende
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
www.angermuende.de
Total partner budget
191,018 €
Address
Děkanská 74
464 01 Frýdlant
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
https://www.masif.cz/
Total partner budget
169,560 €
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences (FFWS)
Address
Kamýcká 129
165 00 Praha
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
https://www.fld.czu.cz/en
Total partner budget
100,040 €
Address
Dr. F. Tuđmana 14a
23244 Starigrad-Paklenica
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
www.np-paklenica.hr
Total partner budget
206,400 €
Address
Ljubljanska cesta 26
1330 Kočevje
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
https://www.kocevje.si/Home?lang=en
Total partner budget
168,120 €

Roadmap

1

Project Kick-off Meeting in Angermünde - 31.05.2023

The HealthyForestRegions project team met for the first time in person in Angermünde to kick-off the Project. All partners jointly achievedfirst stepsin the initial project phase. The Project was introduced to a wider audience, including associated partners and further interested groups. The project partners received the Partnership Agreements from the lead partners. All Partners agreed on the definition and deliniation of the six project target regions.

2

International Online Workshop on Interpretation of Ecosystem Services - 25.09.2023

Online Meeting of the project partners, for a deeper knowledge of the countries and regions, cooperating in the project. Exchange and generate knowledge about the interpretation of healhty forests and the Ecosystem Services they provide for human well-beeing.

3

Regional Workshops on Interpretation of Forest Ecosystem Services - 23.10.2023

Meeting of the czech partners of the HealthyForestRegions project. LAG Frýdlantsko, prepared a regional workshop on interpretive planning for key players in the area, focused on communicating the value of functional forest and their Ecosystem Services contributing to human health and well-being. Representatives of all the above-mentioned key organisations met at the environmental education centre in one of the participating municipalities to discuss possible ways of presenting the natural heritage in the region with the participation of representatives from the Association for the Interpretation of Local Heritage of the Czech Republic.

4

Regional Workshop on Prioritization of Ecosystem Services 20.03.2024

What is the value of a healthy forest? One approach to come closer to an answer is looking at the ecosystem services of a forest – which are benefits that gain people from an ecosystem like a forest. Among those benefits are clean water, wood, binding of carbon and human recreation. How to prioritize the ecosystem services was topic of the workshop that took place in the project target region Poloniny in Slovakia in March 2024. Therefore, different people and organisations, affected by the project (called stakeholders), were invited to identify their economic, ecological and social perspectives. Of course, a discussion was not lacking: Which benefit is more important to whom and why and is it possible to put a price on that value contributing to human well-being?

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Project Contacts

Project Manager

Jennifer Gruß
Phone: (+49) 3334 / 657534

Finance Manager

Jennifer Gruß
Phone: (+49) 3334 / 657534

Communication Manager

Louisa Janitschke