Division 1 Effective and efficient application of tools, methodologies, techniques, technologies and equipment to implement close-to-nature forest management approaches and similar silvicultural alternatives to more intensive forest management and/or management approaches based on planted even-aged and single-species stands, with a cost-effectiveness comparable to that of medium- or large-scale operations used in an equivalent more intensive and/or even-aged and single-species forest management context.

E.g. small-scale forestry operations.

Philipp S. Duncker, Susana M. Barreiro, Geerten M. Hengeveld, Torgny Lind, William L. Mason, Slawomir Ambrozy and Heinrich Spiecker, Classification of Forest Management Approaches: A New Conceptual Framework and Its Applicability to European Forestry, Ecology and Society 17(4): 51. http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-05262-170451 p. 50: ‘Different forest management approaches or silvicultural systems can be arranged along a gradient of management intensity, depending on the specific silvicultural methods and practices used (species selection, site preparation, planting, tending, thinning, final harvesting, use of chemical agents, etc.). The choices of these methods and practices will have consequential impact on forest ecosystem structures and functions, including their biodiversity and other sustainability criteria. “Intensive” forest management usually prioritises economic considerations and notably biomass production objectives, whereas ecological concerns and other ecosystem functions and services play a comparatively minor role. Typical methods and operations under this approach include short rotation lengths, even-aged stands, the possibility to use non-autochthonous tree species, the application of chemical agents, clearcutting as final harvesting regime, intensive machine operations and soil cultivation, or fertilising and liming’.

E.g. new machinery suitable for partial tree removals that address small-scale variability in stand structure; prevention of soil damage; new inventory models and IT systems for stand planning and management; remote surveillance technologies to prevent illegal logging; specialised sawmill technology, etc.

As amended by the Delegated Regulation on the increase of the percentage for nature and biodiversity.

Madrid Ministerial Declaration of 22 October 2015, as adopted by the Forest Europe Expert Level Meeting, 30 June-2 July 2015, Madrid, Spain, http://foresteurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/III.-ELM_7MC_2_2015_MinisterialDeclaration_adopted-2.pdf#page=5