27th. September, 2013

Contributor:  Vaslui

Producer Code RO 2210

Forestry Department Vaslui is a territorial unit without legal personality in the structure of National Forest Administration, which through activities based on economic management and financial autonomy must cover all expenses and obtain profit.

Vaslui Forestry Department develops its activities in the counties of Vaslui, Bacau, Iasi

Neamt, the main activities being:

• Ensuring safety and integrity of the forest
• Regeneration of forests through reforestation and natural regeneration
• Evaluation and timber harvest
• Capitalization wood mass
• Works of leading and care of young trees
• Restitution in terms of the legality of forest areas to former owners
• Harnessing forest products (forest fruits, herbs)
• Hunting activities and marketing of hunting products

Context

Romania features a great forest diversity and is one of the few European countries that still has virgin forest.

Many of these forests play important roles as environmental and recreational space, but simultaneously represents an important economic value.

Forests in Romania are among the best in Europe, with a history of effective management, which reached an excellent standard and important economic potential

Vaslui Forestry Department works for the defense, conservation and sustainable development of forests belonging to both public domain and private – for the management of the hunting stock, harvesting and exploitation of specific forest products, in terms of increased economic efficiency.

DSV manages 77% of the national forest of Vaslui County area of 72 564 ha, of which 530 ha are located in Vaslui Municipality and 48100ha around it.

The forests of the county represent 13.6% of the county area, the structure in terms of property being:

• 66% public state property
• 33,5% private property of individuals or legal entities
• 0,5% owned by cities, towns or villages

The main tree species in the forests of Vaslui are: oak, beech, lime, ash, locust.

Results

• Vaslui Forestry Department was certified in 2008 as an organic producer for wild flora and forest fruits, holding Nr.017/2008 Certificate of Conformity issued by ECOINSPECT
• Vaslui Forestry Department was in 2011 a national leader in collecting forest fruits with a quantity of 1100 tons, mainly rosehips, sloes, hawthorn
• sells annual average of 500-600 tonnes of harvested forest fruits from the spontaneous flora, delivered either fresh or frozen or chilled to various EU partners.
• also, from spontaneous flora is harvested annually a diverse range of herbs, in quantities of approx. 40-45 tons per year, delivered in dry state to beneficiaries in country and abroad.
• Managing a total of 11 hunting funds from which are extracted annually by hunting tourism, organized for Romanian and foreign hunters, aprox. 1200 -1300 pieces of hunted (wild boar, deer, rabbit, pheasant, etc.).
• collecting these products is a manual activity, seasonal, and it requires employment of a workforce (around 1500 people), from the vulnerable social categories which ensures their regular annual cash income
• storing forest fruits and medicinal plants as well as processing them in order to be traded is made in collecting centers, respectively installations that comply with European standards

Benefits

• Given the financial autonomy, marketing occupies an important position in the income structure of the forestry department,
• Annual turnover achieved from the the marketing of products accessories amounted to for 500-600000 euro,
• Annual turnover achieved from the hunting activities and marketing of of hunting products is about, 55-60000 euros.
• Marketing of forest fruits and medicinal plants certifiedas bio “gives the forestry department a leading position on this market
• Collection activity brings seasonal incomes for pickers, who are generally from  vulnerable social categories

Pro and Contra

Romania ranks 21 among world exporters and in the world top of producers Romania occupies the following positions:

• Blueberries 8th place
• Cranberry 7th place
• Currants, 32nd place
• Strawberries 26th place
• Raspberries, 39th place
• Other fruits, 25h place

Forest fruits and fresh herbs exports only as raw material does not bring added value to the true potential of economic activity

Formulate a question to the network:

The role of forests in reducing CO2 and air purification is well known.

Changes in land use (including afforestation of agricultural and non-agricultural terrain) directly affects the carbon balance – especially through the establishment of young forests, with faster growth, which absorb large quantities of CO2 compared with aged forests,

To reduce the carbon footprint in cities, is it better to develop an urban agriculture or to plant trees?