Legislation on aid to maintain and improve the ecosystemic benefits provided by forests allows for aid for conserving biocenoses which are endangered as a result of old and dying trees that are grouped together in specific areas of the forest stand, forming pockets of old growth. The purpose of this aid is to maintain all the trees in these pockets, including the dead trees, be they standing or fallen, beyond the end of their economic usefulness, until they are fully decomposed.

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 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.

To receive the aid, the applicant must confirm that the pockets of old growth in question:

• are at least 30 ares of contiguous land, and at most 2 hectares;
• include at least 30 old or dead standing trees per hectare, with a diameter of over 40 cm at average chest height;
• comprise species of tree which are suited to the local environment, so as to encourage flora and fauna species indigenous to the site;
• be at least:
  • 30 m away from any public road or permanent piece of infrastructure; and
  • 5 m away from the forest edge, from a pathway, a forest trail or an embankment.

How to proceed

Filing an application

When filing the application with the head of the district concerned, 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, cadastral surface, surface area of pockets of old growth, and protective zone.

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

Aid is awarded at the rate of EUR 6 per are per year.

The aid is paid in 2 instalments:

• the first half upon signing of the agreement;
• the second half within 15 years of payment of the first instalment, when the final acceptance report is filed.

Requirements

The area of forest land for which this kind of aid is received is no longer eligible for other kinds of aid.

The landowner makes a commitment for a period of at least 15 years, and is required to:

• sign a management agreement with the Minister, setting out the specific operational or management conditions for achieving the desired protection goals, and the corresponding amount of aid. The boundaries of the pockets of growth in question must be clearly identified in the agreement;
• refrain from any forestry-related operations or infrastructure developing in the pockets of old growth;
• cause no damage to the pockets of old growth when carrying out tree felling in the surrounding areas;
• permanently mark the trees at the boundary of the pockets in question, and provide the authorities with the exact geographic details of those boundaries.

Repayment of aid

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

• it was obtained by means of 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.

Forms / Online services

Who to contact