Support system for private forest owners
Local forestry associations that communicate with forest owners first hand. They provide information, know-how and practical solutions such as evaluating forest value, marking borders, organizing forest harvests, organizing sale of timber. Associations organize group counseling, many associations also contribute in educating school children, our future forest owners, in forestry related issues and activities. In forestry association a forestry consultant will make most of the contacts with the forest owners. Currently there is about 30 active associations. Forest Owner`s Associations are partially government funded. Financing is available through Private Forest Centre and is granted for specific activities. The trend is to increase the percentage of self-financing.
Estonian Private Forest Union, www.erametsaliit.ee
Consists of forest owners associations and represents their members (forest owners) political, economic and other interests on policy level. With state support and in cooperation with local associations they also educate private forest owners. Private Forest Union is self-supporting through membership fees and different projects.
Private Forest Centre, www.eramets.ee
Government established foundation to support the development of national advisory system. Organizes informing and training of key persons of forest owners associations, forestry advisors and forest owners, manages the funding of forest owners associations and administrates the subsidies for private forest owners for sustainable forestry. Private Forest Centre is government funded and intended to stay that way, since carries out nationwide goals.
Timber sale organisations
Central Cooperative of Private Forests and Estonian Timbertrade Centre are founded by forest owner associations. Their goal is to organize timber sale for smaller sellers and to gain a better price when selling jointly. Joint procurement of seedlings and their division to forest owners has also become their activity during recent years. Timber sale organisations are self-supporting due to service charges.
