Overview
- The Bund Naturschutz in Bayern (BN) says rising heatwaves and insect outbreaks are making pine and spruce forests increasingly vulnerable to dieback and fire.
- BN notes more than two thirds of Bavaria's forests are still conifer‑dominated, tree types that struggle at temperatures near 40°C and fuel intense blazes.
- Since 2020 about 90 million trees have been planted and roughly 112,000 hectares have been converted toward mixed forest, but BN says this pace falls short of the 2030 goal of 200,000 hectares.
- BN recommends urgent steps: faster planting of oaks, beeches and other broadleaves, increased funding and staffing for forest work, and stricter hunting to reduce deer browsing that blocks oak regeneration.
- The group stresses the stakes for people who rely on forests for clean air, drinking water and flood control and warns that failure to act risks conditions like the severe wildfires seen in southern Europe.