Systematic protection of high biodiversity value forests in the Czech Republic

Challenge

In the project area, highly biodiverse forests are threatened by the use of heavy machinery. The shortage of timber following intensive logging of climate-damaged monocultures across the country is increasing the pressure to use wood from old-growth forests. Heavy machinery, vehicle-related mortality and poaching pose serious risks to large carnivores that play a key role in ecosystem regeneration.

Objective

Our aim is to provide recommendations for sustainable management practices and related policy changes, particularly through the newly developed “Plan for Healthy Forests”. We aim to involve many volunteers in the continuous monitoring of large carnivores and to raise public awareness through press releases, social media and websites. We will also empower local communities to become involved into the implementation of conservation measures.

Approach

To achieve our project objectives, we will:

• Collect data on forest management and health status across the country and develop a set of targeted policy recommendations based on the consultation with local stakeholders.
• Share relevant monitoring data with the local and national authorities.
• Communicate our findings to policy makers to ensure proper implementation.

Expected Results

We will provide science-based recommendations to at least 20 forest administrations along the European Green Belt in the Czech Republic. We aim to adapt and improve management plans and national legislation by the end of 2025. To achieve this objective, we will generate significant media coverage, train 30 volunteers and run 16 monitoring training events. Practical conservation actions with volunteers during the “Week of Landscape” and legal actions involving four local NGOs will be carried out.