Aid to preserve trees supporting a biotope system, and still-standing dead trees

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Demande d'aide en vue du maintien et de l'amélioration des services écosystémiques rendus par la forêt pour préservation d'arbres biotopes et d'arbres morts sur pieds (French, Pdf, 369 Kb)

Legislation on aid to maintain and improve the ecosystemic benefits provided by forests includes an aid programme aimed at conserving endangered biocenoses connected with trees supporting a biotope system, and still-standing dead trees. In the case of trees supporting a habitat system, the purpose of the aid is to preserve them beyond the end of their economic usefulness.

Applicants must submit their application to the district authority with jurisdiction, which will notify them of the decision of the Nature and Forest Agency (Administration de la nature et des forêts).

Who is concerned

Any owner of forest land.

Where forest land is jointly owned by multiple natural or legal persons, the aid will be granted only once per plot.

Prerequisites

Those who own more than 20 hectares of forest must provide the government administration department with a valid document relating to planned forestry activities:

  • which applies to all their forest holdings; and
  • has been approved by the government administration.

The applicant must verify that the forest land in question:

  • is at least 30 ares of contiguous land, in forest stands measuring 15 m² minimum;
  • comprises tree species that are suited to the area.

Moreover, the surface must:

  • form a single, contiguous forest stand;
  • be in a listed green zone. This requirement precludes lands where:
    • pesticides are used; or
    • lands on which:
      • groundworks that harm the soil structure are carried out; or
      • drainage works or fertilisation are carried out.

An application may be lodged in respect of any tree supporting a biotope or still-standing dead tree, subject to the specifications of the Grand Ducal regulation of 1 August 2018 (available under 'Legal references').

The biotope-supporting trees must meet the following criteria:

  • be situated:
    • at least 30 m away from any public road or permanent piece of infrastructure; and
    • at least 5 m away from the forest edge, from a pathway, a forest trail or an embankment;
  • be alive at the time when the application is approved, and have at least one of the following ecological features:
    • a hollow tree or a tree containing one or more potential animal nesting sites;
    • a tree having sustained damage to 50 % or more of its crown;
    • a tree at least 50 % of whose branches are dead, measuring 10 cm or more in diameter;
    • a tree whose trunk bears fungal spores or a fungal outgrowth;
    • a tree whose bark is partially peeled off over more than a quarter of the length of its trunk, or which has hollows in which bats could nest;
    • a tree with a particularly large diameter – over 100 cm;
  • have a diameter, at chest height, greater than 60 cm for oaks and common beeches and 50 cm for other species, with the exception of the Oesling (French, Pdf, 1.43 Mb) region, where trees of any species with a diameter greater than 40 cm at chest height are eligible.

Standing dead trees must meet the following criteria:

  • be situated:
    • at least 30 m away from any public road or permanent piece of infrastructure; and
    • at least 5 m away from the forest edge, from a pathway, a forest trail or an embankment;
  • be dead at the time the application is approved;
  • have a diameter, at chest height, greater than 40 cm;
  • be in one of the phases of decomposition.

How to proceed

Filing an application

When filing the application with the head of the district concerned (French, Excel, 9 Kb), applicants must state the following on the form (available under 'Forms / Online services' below):

  • their surname and first name;
  • their address;
  • their telephone number;
  • their banking institution and account number;
  • their national identification number;
  • the total area of the forest property;
  • information about the area in question: commune, section, locality, cadastral number, species and number of trees;
  • whether part of their forest holdings are part of the national network of freely developing natural and semi-natural forests.

If the applicant owns a farm, they must also specify:

  • the farm holding number;
  • the farm accident insurance number.

Supporting documents

The application must be accompanied by the following:

  • a topographic map (scale 1:10,000) showing the location of the site;
  • an extract of a cadastral map (scale 1:2,500) for the plots in question;
  • a copy of the management agreement entered into with the Minister.

Decision

The head of the district concerned will inform the applicant of the Nature and Forest Agency's decision, and the measures to be taken to receive a subsidy.

Amount of aid

The aid consists of a single grant of:

  • EUR 500 per tree for oaks;
  • EUR 250 per tree for common beeches;
  • EUR 200 per tree for other hardwood or softwood species.

The aid is paid in 2 instalments:

  • the 1st half of the total amount of aid at the time of signing of the agreement;
  • the 2nd half within 15 days of payment of the 1st, when the final acceptance report is filed.

Requirements

In order to receive the aid, the applicant must make an undertaking:

  • for a period of 15 years, and sign a management agreement with the Minister, outlining:
    • the specific management conditions to be used to achieve the intended protection; and
    • the corresponding amount of aid;
  • conserve at least 4 and at most 8 tree habitats or standing dead trees per hectare;
  • cause no damage to the tree habitats or standing dead trees when carrying out felling in the surrounding areas;
  • permanently mark the tree habitats or standing dead trees, and provide the government administration department with details of their exact location.

Repayment of aid

Any aid paid out must be repaid to the State Treasury when:

  • it was obtained through knowingly false or incomplete representations on the part of the beneficiary;
  • the beneficiary has failed to comply with the conditions to which the granting of the aid was subject. In that event, the beneficiary must also pay interest on the amount given, at the legal base rate, calculated as from the day of payment to the day of repayment.

If a false declaration is found to have been made through gross negligence or through failure to adhere to the principles of good forestry practices, the beneficiary is precluded from receiving aid for the year in question.

If they make a deliberate misrepresentation, they are excluded for the following year as well.

Online services and forms

Downloadable forms

Note: view tips for using PDF forms.

Demande d'aide en vue du maintien et de l'amélioration des services écosystémiques rendus par la forêt pour préservation d'arbres biotopes et d'arbres morts sur pieds

Last update 18.10.2023

PDF369 Kb

Other language(s)

Who to contact

Nature and Forest Agency

2 of 7 bodies shown

Related procedures and links

Procedures

Forestry

Links

Further information

Les aides aux mesures forestières

sur emwelt.lu - le portail de l'environnement

Legal references

  • Règlement grand-ducal du 3 mars 2022

    instituant un ensemble de régimes d’aides pour l’amélioration de la protection et de la gestion durable des écosystèmes forestiers

  • Règlement grand-ducal du 1er août 2018

    établissant les biotopes protégés, les habitats d’intérêt communautaire et les habitats des espèces d’intérêt communautaire pour lesquelles l’état de conservation a été évalué non favorable, et précisant les mesures de réduction, de destruction ou de détérioration y relatives

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