Legislation on aid to improve the protection and sustainable management of forest ecosystems provides for aid to reinforce the forest ecosystem through natural regeneration of tree species suited to the area.

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.

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 surface area to be reforested:

• is at least 30 ares; or
  
• the areas of natural regeneration must be over 10 ares, and may be scattered throughout the forest stand.

In addition, the surface area to be reforested must:

• form a single, contiguous forest stand;
  
• be in a listed green zone. This requirement precludes surfaces 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.

The transformation of hardwood stands into softwood stands is precluded.

Deadlines

Applicants must file their applications prior to the commencement of any work.

How to proceed

Filing an application

Applications must be filed with the head of the district concerned. The following information must be included on the application 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 forest land affected by the project;
• details of the surface to be regenerated: commune, section, locality, cadastral number, cadastral surface, and the surface area affected by the project.

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 certificate attesting to force majeure circumstances in case of a windthrow event or bark beetle infestation.

Decision

The head of the district 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 amount of aid is set at EUR 15 per are of land.

This amount is doubled in the wake of a windthrow event or bark beetle infestation. Additional aid in the amount of EUR 50 per are for loss of earnings is granted. The damage caused by the windthrow event or bark beetle infestation must be attested to in a certificate issued by the government administration department establishing force majeure circumstances. Such a certificate can be obtained from the competent district authorities. In addition, the minister must declare the circumstances a natural disaster.

This doubled rate of aid and the additional aid for loss of earnings are also paid to the recipient even when they are not the owner of the forest land at the time of the felling work.

The amount of aid is increased by 25 % if the measure is carried out:

• on woodlands in a listed protected zone defined by law; and
• in accordance with the measures outlined in the forest management plans enacted by ministerial decree.

Requirements

The natural regeneration must:

• cover at least 70 % of the surface area of the forest stand;
• comprise at least 80 % tree species that are suited to the area;
  
• be between 0.5 and 5 metres high;
• in the case of natural regeneration of softwood species, naturally occurring hardwood populations may not be depleted.

Subsequent forestry operations must be carried out in the old forest stand so the natural regeneration is not compromised.

Criteria governing planting works

For all planting projects

The planting work must comply with the following criteria:

• 100 % of the species planted must be naturally suited to the location. Ecological details for various species can be found here. This is a decision-support tool to help you choose tree species that are suited to a given location;
• a minimum of 70% of species planted must be authorised species: sessile oak, pedunculate oak, common beech, sycamore, plane tree, alnus glutinosa (alder), native rowan, sorbus torminalis (chequer tree), mountain elm, field elm, slippery elm, black poplar, yew, common pear tree, wild apple tree, wild cherry, large-leaved lime, small-leaved lime, spruce, Douglas fir, larch, Scots pine;
• a minimum of 30 % of species planted must be hardwood;
• a mixture of at least 3 species, at least 2 of which must be on the list of authorised species. No one of these 3 species may account for less than 10 % of the mixture;
• the surface to be reforested must form a single, contiguous forest stand.

Enrichment plantations in gaps measuring less than 30 ares, situated in a mature forest, an existing regeneration plantation or an oak copse, with a view to transforming the land into a mature hardwood plantation

The planting work must comply with the following criteria:

• planting must take place in at least 10 clusters, in one or more gaps in the existing forest;
• each cluster must contain at least 25 plants;
• softwood and hardwood species may not be mixed within the same cluster, with the exception of the addition of 10 % maximum of larches in a hardwood cluster;
• the clusters must be positioned in gaps which allow sufficient light to reach the plants to enable them to thrive;
• the clusters must be spaced at least 10 m apart, from centre to centre, and the centre of each one must be marked with a coloured stake at least 1.5 m high;
• the length-to-width ratio of the clusters must not exceed 2.5;
• the planting may make use of wild stock from the same forest.

Repayment of financial aid

The beneficiary will be required to repay the aid received if:

• it was obtained by means of false or incomplete statements;
• they have failed to comply with the conditions to which the granting of the aid was subject. In that event, the beneficiary will also be required to pay interest at the legal rate, calculated as from the day of payment to the day of repayment.

For the year in question, the beneficiary will also be precluded from receiving any aid for improving the protection and sustainable management of forest ecosystems in the event of:

• a false declaration due to gross negligence; or
• failure to abide by the principles of best forestry practices.

Appeal

If their application is denied, or if they are required to repay any aid received, the applicant may appeal the administrative decision by the usual means of appeal (non-contentious appeal, legal appeal), provided they observe the legal limitation periods.

It is also possible to lodge an appeal with the Ombudsman.

Forms / Online services

Who to contact