Government Decision No. 77 stimulating the association of private forest owners for the purpose of their sustainable management.

The purpose of this Government Decision is to stimulate the association of private forest owners, natural and/or legal persons, for the purpose of their sustainable management. The principles that are the basis of the provisions of this Government Decision are: (a) compliance with the forestry regime; (b) sustainable management of forests; and (c) the principle of territoriality, respectively of the proximity of forest properties. The association is made between the owners of forest land located, as a rule, in the vicinity. Associations established in accordance with the provisions of this Government Decision will have as their purpose only the sustainable management of forests, not being able to carry out other types of activities. The central public authority responsible for forestry and its subordinate structures, empowered in this regard, will provide free consultation to the owners of private forests in order to establish them in associations. The associations of private forest owners administer the shared forest land by forestry personnel, establishing in this sense commercial forestry companies or conclude management contracts with authorized forestry structures. The cost of landscaping works for private forest owners, constituted in associations under the terms of this Government Decision, is fully borne from the state budget, if the areas of forest land put together exceed 50 ha and constitute compact forest bodies.