Within the framework of the European programme of interregional cooperation Robinwood Plus, the Regional Council of Limousin organized on the 17th May of 2011 an international conference on the multifunctional roles of forest. The following question was in the heart of discussions: "How can forests contribute to the economic development of a territory?"
This manifestation, certified " 2011 - International Year of forests " was able to gather all the actors of the sector forest-wood, territories, local authorities, the decision-makers as well as French and European experts. A complete panorama was drawn up and some practices setting up in regions, in France and in Europe were analyzed.
The official opening of the day by the president of the Regional Council of Limousin, Mr Jean-Paul DENANOT as well as by the president of the Regional Council of Harghita in Romania, Mr Csaba BORBOLY allowed to assert the fundamental and strategic role of the forest-wood sector for the various partner regions. The accent was put on the transfers of good practices, important elements of actions realization on our territories.
Mr Tamas SZEDLAK's intervention, representing of the European Commission (Head office of the Agriculture) brought an overview of the forest-wood sector in Europe, of the modifications and of the coming actions.
The first round table discussion "How can we manage to use local forest resources in public and private construction?" was introduced by the presentation of the Limousine good practice "Wood Center EP (Energy Performances)" carried by the AVRUL (Agency for the Valuation of the University Research for Limousin). It is about the creation of a training center in Egletons, about research and development on the construction wood and the energy performances. This center will open its doors in January, 2013 to welcome 1 000 trainees a year to answer to:
- the need for vocational training, in particular towards small firms (92 % of the companies of the Wood building sector are very small ones) on wood construction surrounding engineering (electricity, plumbing, insulation, framing...),
- the need for vocational training about the evolutions of the thermal regulations,
- the need for innovation assistance of the industrial partners.
The context is favourable to the growth of the forest-wood sector (environmental initiatives, will to lower the energy consumption) but it is necessary to raise certain brakes by adapting the current rules, by developing the research on materials (normalization of species). Indeed the characterization of species is essential to allow the use of wood in structure and certain local species (used in the past) were not yet certified "CE" (chestnut, fir, oak, poplar). Studies carried out in partnership with the FCBA (Forest cellulose Wood-construction Furnishing Technological institute) are moreover in progress to bring concrete answers on the themes of the fire resistance, the acoustics to support the wood constructions in procurement contracts. These results will be available within 2 years. The recognition of the mechanical quality of local wood must be supported by the whole network but also by the political power, because the costs of research and tests are very important. Then, it is necessary to make sensitive the end users as well as the influencers (architects) to increase the demand of the market in local products. Finally, an interesting lead is the grouping of the small and very small companies to answer locally procurement contracts.
The second round table discussion " Forests, men, knowledge, products: one Territory " was introduced by the presentation of the Finnish good practice of management of the KALEVALA Park by Metsahallitus, an organization of state which handles at once the wood trade and the environmental protection. Historically, the Finnish economy is based on the forest: an extensive exploitation was established to industrialize at most the sectors of the production with a lot of competition (paper pulp and lumber). Following plant closures, new modes of works were implemented: small structures using some local wood and developing rural employment. In parallel, a participative method of management of the forest was developed. The forest is now considered as multifunctional: it includes several aspects: the wooden business / sale activities, the tourist recreation, the hunting activities but also the cultural value of a territory. To take into account this multifunctional role, all the actors are involved to implement concrete sustainable plans of management. Various areas were listed inside a territory: corridor of biodiversity protection, protected areas and natural resources areas. These areas are handled in a different way on the forest plan. This approached was facilitated by the use of the computer systems of management (SIG). These plans of management are flexible and can be updated by participative decisions, by taking into account the economic notion: it is necessary that companies could be allowed growing business.
The round table emerges that the context is very favourable to the development of the tourism in forest zone, in particular the "green tourism". Numerous practices are experimented in every region (conducted tour of arboretum on the platea) of Millevaches, organization of teaks in Transylvania, goes fishing organization on lake frozen in Finland. But it is necessary to harmonize the offers to the public, and in the same spirit as the good practice of the park Kalevala, to create a dialogue between the various actors (accommodation, cultural and sports activities, carriers, gastronomic catering) to propose global offers and insure the promotion of these last ones. The experiment of the association of the chestnut is interesting, because it insures the promotion of the chestnut as fruit, but also that of the small business crafts and the local knowledge on the work of chestnut tree as well as the gastronomy around these products. It is also necessary to make sensitive and to educate the populations in a wooden culture, because contrary to the Finnish regions, the opening of forests to the public is not compulsory, and forests are mainly private in the other regions.
On the other hand, the multifunctional roles of forest can be used to slow down the rural exodus thanks to the potential of local companies' creation and\or buy-out. A work, necessary, of raising awareness of the young people and training is accompanied by the funds that the European program of rural development gives to territories in order to make wood works attractive.
The five partner regions (Liguria, Calabria, Harghita, Kainuu and Limousin) share the following diagnosis: the forest and the wood as technological material are full components of the rural development. This day participated to activate an awareness of the potentialities of the wood, in particular in the construction industry and in the tourism sectors.
Robinwoodplus International Conference Limoges 17 May 2011 picture gallery
source: http://robinwoodplus.eu