The economic use of forest areas in Germany has always been governed by various regulations. Decisive here are the federal and state laws under public law, especially in the area of environmental and nature conservation law. This means that forest owners and farmers regularly face legally complex challenges if they intend to use their forest areas economically to a certain extent or in a certain way.
To provide our clients with the support they need, the German law firm Schlun & Elseven offers competent and committed legal assistance. Whether you are applying for public subsidies, claiming official compensation payments or civil disputes – our expertise and expert legal support is always at your disposal. We provide comprehensive services to forest owners, forest enterprises, forest management associations and forest cooperatives in using their forest areas within the framework of the German forest law. Lawyer Dr Richard Nouvertné is particularly familiar with the economic and legal challenges of the trade as the managing director of a forest owners’ association and, as a lawyer for forest law, your contact for all questions relating to forest law.
Development of the German Forestry Sector 2008 – 2017
Approximately 10.6 million hectares and thus almost 30 % of the total land area in Germany are forest areas (Federal Statistical Office 2018). As areas for protection, recreation and use, these forested areas have several important properties. Forests not only serve to regulate the water balance, clean the air and protect biotopes and species. The expansion of the important economic sector of the forestry and timber industry in Germany, starting with the extraction of the versatile renewable raw material wood, is also made possible by the forest areas.
Based on the forestry accounts from 2008 to 2017, there is a fluctuating but steadily increasing gross and net value added in the forestry industry. This includes all production of economic goods from forestry and production of economic services and non-forestry secondary activities. With a net value-added of 2.4 billion euros in forestry in 2017 and 29,400 counted forest enterprises, which own a total of 7 hectares of forest area (Federal Statistical Office 2016), the particular relevance of this economic sector in Germany is evident.