Forestry technique

Extension for forest owners

The major topic of extension for forest owners in the field of forestry technique is safe work in forests because in this way we want to reduce the number of accidents that occur to private forest owners during their work in the forest. The most important and intensive form of extension are courses where participants practically train the technique of safe work; other forms that have to be mentioned as well are lectures, field demonstrations and demonstrations at fairs, competitions of forest owners in cutting and publishing activity. Besides, we also advise forest owners by organizing courses in bucking forest wood assortments so that such wood would be evaluated in the best possible way. We co-operate with other institutions in forest certificating.

Introducing new technologies into Slovenian forests

We are of the opinion that while introducing new technologies (eg mechanized cutting), it is very important for the forestry profession to find the best solution for Slovenian forests without affecting the Slovenian forestry doctrine.

Our activities are therefore oriented towards:

– educating forestry experts and others working in forests (organization of workshops, lectures and field demonstrations);

– linking all those interested or concerned in mechanized cutting in Slovenia;

– preparing data and maps about forests in Slovenia where mechanized cutting is possible;

– giving proposals to change legislation.

Doing this we closely co-operate with the Chamber of Commerce of Slovenia, the Department of Forestry and Renewable Resources at the Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana, the Farmland and Forest Fund of the Republic of Slovenia and with some other forest management companies.

Advice on proper use of wood

When dealing with the use of wood as an energy source we see the main role of the Slovenia Forest Service in estimating actual potential in Slovenia and for this purpose a special information system was elaborated which enables competent strategic and local decision taking in introducing this energy use in Slovenia. A network of advisers has been set up with other institutions for the effective use of wood for energy, which gives advice to all those interested in this field.

Forest roads

Work in the area of forest roads generally encompasses activities of forest road maintenance and construction, keeping data bases and planning the accessibility of forest space. The most important activity of the Slovenia Forest Service is ensuring maintenance of forest roads and its role is to prepare annual programmes of maintenance in individual local communities. It also co-operates in the selection of work performers and it supervises their work. In co-operation with forest owners the Slovenia Forest Service determines the traffic regime on forest roads, which is of special importance in those forest areas where conflicting interests occur as to their exploitation. A decree prohibiting driving in the natural environment allows driving on forest roads, but not on skid trails that are only designed for skidding wood. To have a complete review of the state of forest roads, the Slovenia Forest Service keeps records of forest roads, uniform for all Slovenia. According to these records there are a little more than 12,500 km of forest roads in Slovenia, which represents a relatively rich network of roads, intended primarily for forest management, but due to their public character they represent a good extension of the public road network.

Forest roads also include skid trails, whose preparation and construction is directed by the Slovenia Forest Service through technological parts of silvicultural plans