Strategic Plan for development of the forest sector in Bulgaria 2014–2023.

This publication contains the Bulgarian Strategic Plan for development of the forest sector, programmed for the period form 2014 until 2023.
Summary of forestry related topics elaborated by this text is here listed: European Union thematic conservation and sustainable management policies in forestry; national framework and policy documents; forests and forestry sector in Bulgaria, analysis and review of the current status, including challenges and prospects; classification and identification of activities aimed to achieve the designated objectives; overall assessment of required resources; responsible and involved institutions; partnerships and initiatives to enhance the public or civic participation; communication and media policy; implementation, monitoring, review and evaluation procedures; potential risks and effective limitations that are present or that can afflict the forest sector.
The general objective of this Strategy is to ensure and demonstrate that all Bulgarian forests are managed in accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management and that the European Union's contribution to the promotion of sustainable forest management and reducing deforestation globally is enhanced, so that it contributes to balancing the different functions of forests, responds to needs and vital ecosystem services that are provided; also by providing a basis for forestry and the whole value chain, related to forestry, to be competitive and viable factors contributing to the national bioeconomy.
Eight interlinked priority areas are here identified. Priority area 1: Support for rural and urban communities; Priority area 2: Promoting competitiveness and sustainability in European forestry, bioenergy and environmental sectors; Priority area 3: Forests in the context of climate change; Priority area 4: Conservation of forests and improvement of ecosystem services; Priority Area 5: Analysis of national forests and how are they changing; Priority area 6: New and innovative forestry and high quality products with added value; Priority area 7: Working together for coherent management and better understanding of forest systems; Priority area 8: Forests from a global perspective.
The vision here establishes is that by the year 2020, Bulgaria will have vital, productive and multifunctional forests, sustainable, competitive and innovative forestry sector, preserved biodiversity, quantity and quality of water resources in forest areas. The sector will support the economic development of the country, and will provide conditions for full realization of its employees, will help to minimize the effects of climate changes and will ensure a healthy environment in general.
The implementation of the vision is linked to the achievement of three strategic goals in the mid-term plan: Based on the formulated vision, mission and strategic goals are defined for following priorities for the development of forestry sector by 2020: Ensuring sustainable development of the forestry sector through achieving an optimal balance between the ecological function of forests and their ability to provide in the long run material benefits and services; Strengthening the role of forests in securing economic growth of the country and more balanced territorial socio-economic development; Increasing the contribution of the forest sector to the green economy.
This text includes the meanings and principles of FOREST EUROPE (wide political process for the sustainable management of the forests of the European continent), which develops and approves pan-European indicators at expert level on Sustainable Forest Management, which have been recognized as an important tool of the European forest policy. Improved Pan-European indicators adopted in 2002, are the founding document for monitoring system and evaluation of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Development of the Forestry Sector in Bulgaria.
Main risks identified under the section that elaborates risks and limitations in case of failure to comply with the provisions and indications of this text will be related to the: reduction of forested area or forests and of its timber due to unsustainable forest management, deterioration of forest conditions also due to inefficient timber harvesting; increase in the percentage of forest areas destroyed by fires, etc; natural disasters due to inefficient prevention and non-use of forest control and protection measures; degradation of forests due to non-adaptation to sensitive climate change; inability to fulfill the country's commitments to reduce several types of harmful emissions, which are also aimed to reduce the negative effects of climate changes; loss of biodiversity and landscape diversity in forest areas, also is due to inefficient and/or lack of stored genetic stock of valuable tree species for afforestation or cultivation of forest species; increase of the percentage of wind and water erosion and disturbance of water-generators, forest functions and generation of related risks to agriculture; increase of the quantity of illegal forestry activities due to the non-compliance, lack of capacity, lack of technical equipment, lack of modern wood tracking system; decrease in game population as a result of ineffective control and unsustainable game management; deterioration of tourism potentials in forests due to inefficient planning and development of recreational activities; insufficient absorption of European Union funds due to inefficiency in project implementation; deterioration of socio-economic conditions and employment in Bulgarian regions, especially in rural areas; reduction of overall forestry sector contributions; and loss of foreign and domestic forest product markets.