Making use of French forest resources. Summary of the report of the working group on insufficient utilization of French forestry resources

摘要

French forests have grown considerably in surface area and value. Its surface area has extended to 16 million hectares, double the area of 180 years ago. Its value has also considerably increased as a result of the conversion of the coppice to the high-forest system and by upland reafforestation over the last century and reafforestation by the National Forestry Fund in the last 50 years.Annual production is now 103 million M-3. At the same time, recorded fellings which 30 years ago accounted for 2/3rds of overall production currently stagnates at only half of that amount (i.e. 50 Mm(3)/year). This clear divergence is a source of concern.This capitalisation constitutes a resource that it would be a pity not to harness. What is needed today is an ambitious forest and, moreover, a timber-utitization policy.At the recent "Forestry Convention", the Minister Michel Barnier announced that fellings should increase by 10 million cubic metres per year by 2010 and 20 million by 2020.