The forest fund registered an increase of approximately 1.1% in almost ten years

The area of the forest fund at the end of last year registered an increase of approximately 0.1% compared to December 31, 2022, while compared to 2014 it recorded an increase of approximately 1.1% mainly due to redevelopment of wooded pastures and the introduction of forest fund of degraded lands, according to Law no.46/2008 - Forestry Code with subsequent amendments and additions.   According to statistical data, the national forest fund occupied, at the end of 2023, an area of 6.616 million hectares, which represented 27.8%of the country's area. Thus, ten years ago, namely, compared to the end of 2014, the national forest fund occupied an area of 6,545 million hectares, respectively 27.5% of the country's area.Practically, according to the data of the National Institute for Statistics, in the period 2014 - 2023, the forest fund registered a constant increase, and during the entire analysed period (2014 - 2023) the trend of the forest area is slightly increasing year in year out. In 2023, compared to 2022, the area of forests increased by 3,000 ha, (+0.05%), decidous species registered an increase of 9,000 ha, while coniferous species had a decrease of 6,000ha, changes mainly due to re-introductions in the forestry facilities.    On December 31, 2023, public property represented 64.3% of the total area of the national forest fund, being mainly administered by the National Forestry Authority  - Romsilva and private property represented 35.7%, being mostly administered by the structures private forests. In 2014, publlic ownership represented 35%, since then having the same majority administration in the case of both categories.' 'The area in forest fund in private ownership has an increasing trend, to the disadvantage of the area in public ownership, due to the continuation of the process of retrocession of forests' states the INS report. According to the quoted source, the distribution of the national forest fund by development regions and counties is uneven, depending on the physical- geographical conditions and the economic-social  development of the area.   At the end of 2023, the forest fund was concentrated in a significant proportion in the development regions of the Center (19.2% of the total forest fund), and North-East (18.2%), followed by the West development regions (16.2%), North-West (15.3%), South-West Oltenia (12.3%), South-Muntenia (10.0%), South-East (8.4%)and Bucharest -Ilfov (0.4%).   At the end of 2023, larger forest areas were recorded in the counties of: Suceava (438,000 ha) Caras-Severin (435,000 ha), Hunedoara (316,000 ha), Arges (277,000 ha), Valcea (274,000 ha), Bacau (273,000 ha), Harghita (264,000 ha), Neamt (263,000 ha) and Maramures (260,000 ha).