2024-03-04 11:14:58
The reform for the management of public forests was analyzed by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Thodoros Skylakakis, today (27/2) at a press conference, at the same time announcing the forests to which the first management studies are assigned. Furthermore, he presented the course of implementation of the preventive forest clearing program (AntiNero), which is in full development in many regions of the country.
The press conference was held in the Amphitheater of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, with the participation of the General Secretary of Forests, Mr. Efstathios Stathopoulos and the General Director of Forests and Forest Environment, Mr. Evangelos Goudoufas.
Bill
More specifically, for the management of the country’s public forest ecosystems, as described by the Minister of Environment and Energy, the following initiatives are being taken, which are reflected in the provisions of a draft law, which is expected to be submitted to public consultation in the next period of time:
The assignment of the implementation of the management and exploitation of public forests or management units is done following a public invitation from the Minister of Environment and Energy.
With the invitation, the assignment of the implementation of the management and exploitation of one or more forests or one or more management units is announced individually or jointly. The combination of forests or management units is based on their productive capacity, the degree of difficulty of extraction, the distance that separates them, the possibility of a dangerous fire and the year of the end of the relevant management studies.
The invitation defines, among other things, the following:
a) the maximum quantities and types of biomass allowed to be harvested according to the approved management studies,
b) the forest clearing operations, the types and quantities of biomass that will be harvested with them, as well as the time schedule for the implementation of these operations,
c) the amount of the biomass subsidy enjoyed per species and case by case, and
d) the minimum percentage of the value of the sales invoices of the received biomass, which will be attributed to the State, etc.
The amount of the participation guarantee is defined in the invitation and is determined at 4% of the budgeted value of the contract.
The assignment is made by a decision of the Minister of Environment and Energy following a recommendation by the tender committee based on the most advantageous offer based on the following criteria:
a) the percentage of biomass that will be harvested in relation to what is foreseen in the management study and the fire protection study (Factor 40%)
b) the period of time for the implementation of the forestry maintenance and improvement works of the forest aimed at cleaning it, in relation to the maximum relative limit set by the approved management – fire prevention study (Factor 40%)
c) the percentage of the value of the sales invoices of the received biomass, which will be attributed to the State (Factor 20%).
The right to participate in the process of assigning the implementation of the management and exploitation of public forests or management units has the Forestry Labor Cooperatives (DA.SE) that meet specific conditions.
It is allowed to set up associations of persons with legal personality (Hybrid Cooperative Schemes – H.S.Schi.), in which DA.S.E. participates as parties. with a total percentage of 50% and other natural or legal persons of the private sector with a total percentage of 50%, for the purpose of forest management.
In U.S.Schi. can participate DA.S.E. where:
1. have been established and operate in accordance with the provisions of Law 4423/2016,
2. they are registered in the Register of Forestry Cooperative Organizations and Forest Workers (“MI.DA.S.O.”) and have not been permanently or temporarily deleted and
3. do not participate in another U.S.Schi.
The natural or legal persons, with the exception of DASE, participating in the YS.Schi. must meet the following conditions:
1. have as their main activity the processing of timber and its products,
2. have been established at least five years before the publication of the call,
3. their turnover during the last three full financial years before the publication of the invitation is cumulatively equal to or greater than 5,000,000 euros, and the specific turnover concerning the processing of wood and its products is cumulatively equal to or greater than 3,000. 000 euros and
4. do not participate in another U.S.Schi.
They can participate in the Y.S.Schi. and legal entities with economic activities that allow the utilization of forest biomass as follows:
1. for the production of heat, electricity or renewable gases from biomass (bioenergy) either for self-consumption or for the sale of this energy to third parties,
2. for the production of thermal energy for the purpose of distribution to district heating networks,
3. for the production of thermal energy for the purpose of disposal in applications of the agro-industrial – agro-food sector (greenhouses, dryers, etc.).
The corporate capital of the above persons to acquire and maintain their status as members of the General Assembly is set at 3,000,000 euros.
The U.S.Schi. and the DA.S.E. that have undertaken the management and exploitation of forests or management units receive an annual subsidy based on the revenues from auctioning emission rights or from other public resources. The amount of the subsidy is calculated as a percentage of the sales revenue of the biomass enjoyed multiplied by the coefficient defined per type of biomass in combination with the coefficient of difficulty of managing the forests or management units undertaken by the above bodies. The amount of the subsidy does not change until the end of the duration of the assignment.
A percentage of the firewood produced by the contractors of the above process, which is specified in the invitation, is available at a low price to proven permanent residents of the local communities of the management and exploitation areas, with priority to vulnerable social groups (reciprocal benefits).
An amount corresponding to a percentage of 2% on the pre-Value Added Tax revenues of a U.S.Schi. or a DA.S.E. from the management of the forests is available to the OTAs that are within or close to the relevant management and exploitation areas. These OTAs must make a corresponding reduction in the municipal fees they impose at the expense of the permanent residents of the local communities of these areas.
The amount of the subsidy is paid after the control and certification by any necessary means of the biomass obtained and its species, according to the respective sales invoices.
A Register of Certified Auditors is recommended who certify and certify the quantities of biomass produced by each contractor.
Starting the integrated management of forest ecosystems, forest management studies will be prepared – for the first time in Greece – with updated technical specifications (their tender by March 2024).
These first, pilot, management studies commissioned concern forests located within four Regions of the country (Attica, Central Greece, Peloponnese and Western Greece). These are eight contracts, with a total surface area of 1,395,258.99 acres and a total estimated value of 2,411,422.84 euros (the relevant table is attached).
AntiNero I, II and III
The AntiNero I, II and III programs are among the most basic “tools” available to our country for the prevention and protection of forests. It is in full development and is being implemented with resources from the Recovery and Resilience Fund and the regular budget.
In the context of these programs, initiatives related to the creation of mixed fire zones are implemented, which have multiple advantages such as: reducing the risk of transmission and spread of all types of fires (ground, surface and forest), but also reducing the speed of spread fires, the intensity of fires and the risk of MEGA FIRE creation, combined with facilitating the approach of forest firefighters to the area safely, as well as the movement of fire engines.
Also, zones of pure or mixed vegetation with broad-leaved species are created, which are characterized by a slower and controlled spread of fire through enrichment plantings, with an emphasis on places of forests or woodlands located close to or mixed with residential areas.
Also, works are carried out such as: cleaning of forests and forest lands, maintenance of the forest road network and fire protection zones, etc.
In particular, per program, the following initiatives were implemented:
AntiNero I
52,000 square meters were cleared, work was done to improve and maintain 12,600 km of forest road network, as well as to improve and maintain 2,000 km of fire zones. In addition, free timber was provided to thousands of residents per region and fire protection plans were drawn up for 39 critical forest ecosystems with a total area of more than 42 million sq.
AntiNero II
65,000 ha were cleared, 20,000 km of forest road network was improved and maintained, as well as 1,000 km of fire protection zones, free timber was provided to thousands of residents per region.
AntiNero III
This is an ongoing program that concerns 71,058 square meters of forest clearing, the improvement and maintenance of 103,741 square meters of forest road network, as well as the improvement and maintenance of 21,197 square kilometers of fire protection zones, as well as the creation of mixed fire protection zones of 65,357 square meters .
“Adapting to the climate crisis requires, above all, vigilance – as time is not on our side – and an organized plan with an emphasis on prevention projects. With the goal of comprehensive management of the country’s forest ecosystems, we are taking a network of important initiatives. The forestry reform, which is included in a bill promoted by the Ministry of Environment and Energy – which is expected to be submitted to public consultation soon – will contribute drastically to the reduction of fire risks”, said Thodoros Skylakakis, Minister of Environment and Energy.
“We have already identified the forests for which we are commissioning the first management studies. And all this while the AntiNero program is in full swing, with preventive cleanups already completed exceeding 113,380 acres. Clearing of approximately 2,285 acres is underway and an additional 71,000 acres are included in the planned work. At the same time, projects related to the improvement and maintenance of the forest road network and fire protection zones are being carried out and free wood is available to thousands of residents in the intervention areas”.
Source: Reporter.gr