Strengthening Europe’s forests together: OptFORESTS opens stakeholder survey
The EU-funded project OptFORESTS has launched a major stakeholder survey aimed at strengthening the resilience of Europe’s forests in the face of climate change, pests and increasing environmental pressures.
The survey seeks insights into forest genetic resources and forest reproductive material, two critical yet often underrepresented pillars of sustainable forest management. It forms part of OptFORESTS’ broader efforts to promote species‑rich and well‑managed forests. Within the project, the European Forest Institute (EFI) leads Work Package 8, which advances communication and strengthens the linkage of forest reproductive material information systems to support sustainable forest management. EFI also helps ensure that genetic diversity is effectively integrated into training tools for adaptive silviculture.
To reflect the diversity of expertise across the sector, the survey is available in three tailored versions: one focusing on forest genetic resources, another on forest reproductive material, and a general stakeholder version addressing policy, management and societal perspectives.
Participants may choose the survey that best matches their background and experience:
- Forest genetic resources - Choose this especially if you have strategic or scientific expertise on genetic diversity and their conservation.
- Forest reproductive material - Choose this especially if you have operational or regulatory expertise on the production and use of reproductive material.
- General stakeholder - Choose this if you deal with policy, management, or societal perspectives on forest resilience and sustainability.
All responses are anonymous, fully GDPR-compliant, and used exclusively for research purposes. The survey is available in multiple European languages and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.
The survey remains open until the end of April, and the project team warmly encourages participants to share the invitation within their professional networks.
