EFI is supporting the network of forest extension organizations in Europe (FOREXT), with a goal of establishing international cooperation in the field. Forest extension covers activities of state administration directed towards supporting private forestry that goes beyond just advising them. The aim of this network is to ensure the organisations to build their capacities in training and education of private forest owners, supporting the development of their associations, inventorying and marking of private forests, preparation of forest management plans for private forests, enforcement of forest legislation in private forests, providing subsidies for more sustainable forest management, organizing sale of wood from private forests, capacity building for private forestry, etc.
The network had its first meeting in January 2018 in Bonn, Germany, its second meeting in October 2018 in Bilbao, Spain. The 3rd meeting was in April 2019 in Montpellier, France and the 4th in October 2019 in Helsinki, Finland. The planned meeting of the network in May 2020 in Carlow, Ireland has been postponed until further notice due to COVID-19.
The network was officially launched on 1 October 2019 as the 12 founding members signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
Member organisations:
FOREXT members represent 21 organisations in 16 European countries. Together we aim to to build their capacities in training and education of private forest owners, supporting the development of their associations, inventorying and marking of private forests, preparation of forest management plans for private forests, enforcement of forest legislation in private forests, providing subsidies for more sustainable forest management, organizing sale of wood from private forests, capacity building for private forestry, etc.
- Centre de la Propietat Forestal
- Keskkonnainvesteeringute Keskus (KIK) (previously Erametsakeskus)
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
- Agricultural Advisory Service, Forestry Service Office (LAAS), Lithuania
- Basilicon Consulting, Hungary
- Centre national de la propriété forestière
- Forest Advisory Service Centre, LRATC, Latvia
- Forestry Commission, UK
- Institut Européen de la Forêt Cultivée (IEFC)
- Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
- Mas Abogados
- Poznań University of Life Science, Poland, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology
- Skogsstyrelsen
- Suomen metsäkeskus, Finnish Forest Centre
- Narodne lesnicke centrum, Slovakia, National Forest Centre
- Skogkurs, Norway, Skogbrukets Kursinstitutt / Forestry Extension Institute
- Société Royale Forestière de Belgique, Belgium
- Teagasc, Ireland
- Unión de Selvicultores del Sur de Europa (USSE), Union of Foresters of Southern Euro
- University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Silvopastoral Systems research group i
- University of Forestry, Sofia, Bulgaria
More info on the network's website: https://forext.eu/
Reports from the network activities:
Forest Extension Network (EFI website 10.4.2019)
European Network of Forest Extension Organisations launched (EFI website, 9.10.2019)
For further information on the network, on how to join or collaborate with us, please contact Inazio Martinez de Arano (inazio.martinez @ efi.int).