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National Regulations

From section 1 of the Federal Forest Act and the corresponding provisions of Laender Forest Acts, the legal objective is to be deduced that the forest in its genetic diversity is to be conserved so that it can permanently supply its performance and fulfil its functions. Moreover, the following regulations of the Federal Forest Act in terms of the conservation of forest genetic resources can be drawn on: Forest Conservation (section 9), Forest management (section 11), Protection Forest (section 12).

There are corresponding regulations at Laender level too.

In several Laender, the activities for the conservation of forest genetic resources have been regulated by decrees and integrated into programmes like the forestry framework planning. In addition, the forestry guidelines of most Laender contain important measures for the conservation of forest genetic resources.

A special role is assumed by the Forest Reproductive Material Act (Forstvermehrungsgutgesetz, FoVG), which governs the approval, production, marketing, import, export and proper identification and tracing of forest reproductive material. The purpose of the act is to conserve and improve forests with their range of positive effects by providing properly identified forest reproductive material of a high quality, as well as to promote forestry and its productive capacity (section 1 of FoVG).

Furthermore, the Federal Nature Conservation Act is of a certain importance. Information on the conservation of biological and, thus, genetic diversity can be gathered from the objectives of this law. The productivity of the natural ecosystem, as well as the fauna and flora shall be safeguarded as an essential base of human life. The measures designated in the Federal Nature Conservancy Act and the corresponding Federal/State nature protection laws only partly refer to the conservation of the genetic diversity of tree and woody shrub species. In certain cases however, they may supplement the measures necessary for conserving forest genetic resources.

National Programme for Forest Genetic Resources

The Concept for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Forest Genetic Resources in the Federal Republic of Germany is the fundamental document where, based on the significance of genetic diversity and the endangerment of the gene stock of our tree and woody shrub species, measures are contained helping the conservation of our forests in the future. It serves as sectoral national programme for forest genetic resources.

The concept was prepared as a new version in 2000 by the Federal government and Länder Working Group "Forest Genetic Resources and Legislation on Forest Reproductive Material" on the basis of the Concept for the Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources in the Federal Republic of Germany of 1987 and is now available as an updated reprint (2010).

It shows targets and measures necessary for conserving the gene stock and the genetic structures of tree and woody shrub species.

In order to safeguard in a sustainable way, all benefits of the forests (economic, protective and recreational functions) for society and to maintain them for future generations according to the Federal Forest Law and to conserve the biodiversity of the forests in compliance with the sustainable utilization of their components in agreement with the "Convention on Biological Diversity" the concept has set the following goals: