Overview
- The program defines four focus areas: water retention, management of beech stands, biodiversity on disturbance sites, and public communication about climate impacts on forests.
- Planned implementation includes further training and handouts for foresters, new dialogue formats, and a guideline for climate-focused forest tours.
- Ulrich Matthes, head of the Mainz forestry research institute, presented the approach and called for open discussion of uncertainties with critical citizens.
- Foresters report unease as climate debates challenge their experiential knowledge, though incidents cited so far are limited to isolated property damage and personal criticism of district leadership.
- Context from the launch highlights beech as the most common tree in the state and underscores water management as central to resilience in Germany’s most forested state by share.