On the occasion of the agreement reached by the heads of the Baden-Württemberg government to expand the Black Forest National Park, the German Timber Trade Association (GD Holz) and the German Sawmill and Timber Industry Association (DeSH) are speaking out against the expansion. The ban on use that comes with closing the gap does not serve climate protection.
Only active forest management and the use of timber can ensure the development and maintenance of a healthy forest in the long term. At the same time, climate-friendly value creation potential in rural areas is at risk of being lost permanently.
'The state government is on the wrong track when it comes to climate policy. Instead of designating more forests as national parks, it is important to balance ecological and economic interests in one area. In this context, bans on use are the wrong way to go,' criticise the associations. 'With the expansion of the Black Forest National Park, the forest areas are left to themselves. The necessary development of climate-stable forests is being abandoned, and with it the sustainable use of wood and long-term CO2 storage in wood products. Neither climate protection nor the regional economy benefit from this.'
No decision for the region
This is also underlined by the results of the fourth national forest inventory. They highlight the need, particularly for Baden-Württemberg, to rejuvenate old and vulnerable forests with trees that are suitable for the location and sustainable.
The regional processing and use of the resulting wood makes a contribution to climate protection beyond the forest and helps to reduce CO2 emissions in other sectors and thus also the climate impacts on the forest.
'The Black Forest has a long tradition of the timber industry. Instead of reflecting on this, increasing restrictions in the forest threaten to permanently impair the established value chains and thus jeopardize key future and climate protection potential for the region,' the associations point out.
Necessary forest conversion is ignored
The governing parties in Baden-Württemberg had already agreed in principle to expand the Black Forest National Park in October. As part of the coalition agreement, the decision aims to transfer the two previously separate national park areas into a contiguous protected area. 'The experiences from other federal states should serve as a warning. The extreme weather events of recent years have caused massive damage there. If we really want to strengthen the forests for our grandchildren, we must actively adapt them to the new circumstances and should not designate national parks,' the associations concluded.
More information:
German Sawmill and Wood Industry
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www.zukunft-holz.de