Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, Austria

LEAD Partner

The Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW) is the national focal point for all land-use and environment related tasks. The Forest Department is responsible for coordinating the outcomes of the nine federal states regarding forest management in relation to timber production, drinking water protection, protection against natural hazards, provision of welfare and recreation by means of the Forest Development Plan. The protection of forests is maintained by means of inventories regarding forest stands as well as forest status, impact of game and air pollution.

The involvement of relevant stakeholders in the fields of functional forestry, protection against natural hazards, balance of forest and game, forest and wilderness, conservation of biodiversity within forests, the maintenance of Natura2000 areas is processed in recurrent discussion round tables (Forest Dialogue).

In the field of international programmes Forest Department is providing specialist inputs to the professional tasks of projects relating to the Alpine Convention, the FAO or European Forest Commission.

Within PROLINE-CE the Forest Department will identify gaps in strategies and measures in existing policies in Austria and by means of a pilot action in mountain forests of Waidhofen/Ybbs (Lower Austria) best forest management practices for drinking water protection will be implemented trough set-up of contracts with private land owners and the Austrian Federal Forests. In this context special funding conditions for the Rural Development Program 2014-2020 will be developed.

Contact Person: Hubert Siegel

www.bmlfuw.gv.at