RESUME

Private forestry in the Czech Republic

Lesnická práce No. 5/2000 deals with the forest management of private owners and with forests possessed by communities and municipalities - i.e. non-state forests. After 1989 a big return of property, nationalised after 1948 by the communist regime, was launched. The property restitutions have concerned considerably the Czech forests and have changed the ownership structure and a whole image of the Czech forestry management. Out of almost 100 % state owned forests about 37 % of area was returned to original owners, i.e. about 964 thousand hectares out of 2,600 thousand hectares, out of which about 605 thousand hectares to private persons, and 359 thousands hectares to communities, municipalities, and communal forest co-operatives. Forest properties have not been returned to the church yet, some 170 thousand hectares. Hence about 160 thousand natural persons and 3,500 municipalities and communities regained their forests.

The average size of a forest property is fairly unfavourable with regards to their management. The average size of a private person’s forest property is less than 3 hectares, whereas 77.1 % owners have less than 1 hectare and 0.3 % owners have more than 50 hectares. Therefore the state supports by financial appropriations voluntary associating of small owners into larger units (co-operatives) for better forest management. However the bad historical experience with a forced collectivisation of agriculture in the fifties holds back the programme’s successful adoption. The associating process of small forest owners can be expected to take long time, to be based on personal activity of professional managers, “examples-work-wonders”, and only then on the state appropriations. The structure of communal forest properties is slightly more favourable: the average size is 78 hectares, 52.4 % communities have forest smaller than 11 hectares, 0.9 % have more than 1 000 thousand hectares. The interests of communities and private owners are promoted by the Association of Communal and Private Forest Owners and also by the Association of Forest Owners and Forestry Entrepreneurs.

Establishment and structure of the Association of Communal and Private Forest Owners by 2000-03-21: communities and municipalities: 304 members, 166 405 ha; communal forestry co-operatives, communal associations (further 226 associated): 14 members, 24 955 ha; private owners, private owners associations, private companies (associated 157 subjects in total): 39 members, 57 387 ha; total: 357 members (687 individual members), 248 747 ha.

The forest owner is obliged by the law to manage the forest in co-ordination with a professional forest manager. The forest owner has to select the manager, conclude a contract, and pay for the service at own expenses. If the owner of less than 50 ha does not choose any professional forest manager himself, this is appointed by the State Forest Administration and the costs of manager’s activity is covered by the state. This possibility is often accepted by the small owners and the state often appoints the state enterprise Forests of the Czech Republic which now professionally supervises about 300 thousand hectares of small forests (up to 50 ha). There are 212 natural persons and 23 juridical persons supervising other 60 thousand hectares based on a trade license. The owners of less than 50 ha follow forest management guidelines the generation of which is paid by the state. The owners of more than 50-ha properties obey forest management plans the elaboration of which they cover themselves, however the state contributes to them within the framework of its appropriation policy. The state also contributes to other forest works like to regeneration of immission damaged forests, stand regeneration, establishment, and tending, to implementation of ecological and nature close technologies, e.t.c. The total sum the state endowed to the forest management was 1.119 millions of CZK.

At present there culminates a discussion on the amendment to the Forest Act supposed to enter the legislative procedure in the Parliament by the end of the year. The amendment will supposedly regulate not only some professional questions concerning forest management but also the relations among the state, state forest administration, forest owners, and professional forest managers.