Contribution of forest promotion to the competitiveness of the forestry sector and environmental protection in Hessen

This report deals with the forestry support measures in terms of their impact on the evaluation questions: evaluation question 4 (economic performance), evaluation question 8, 9 and 10 (biodiversity, water and soil management), evaluation question 13 (renewable energies) and evaluation question 15 (carbon storage). The reporting period covers 2015 to 2022.

Methodologically, the report is based on the evaluation of the funding data, the beneficiaries survey, the case study on road construction and literature analyses.

Overall, the forestry support measures under the Hessen RDP (rural development programme) were suitable for achieving the objectives pursued with them, even if the target expenditure was corrected downwards over the support period. Forest road construction supports the objective of economic improvement. Funding is becoming increasingly important, particularly in view of the unexpected damage caused by the consequences of last year's calamities. Soil conservation liming particularly promotes an improvement in water management and has a positive effect on soil and biodiversity; precise mapping of forest sites with retention and clearing areas is of great importance here land clearing should no longer be promoted as part of the CAP Strategy Plan.