WorkingWorking meetingmeeting forfor thethe establishmentestablishment ofof thethe BalkanBalkan ForestForest ForumForum Forestry inin thethe Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia

Prof. Ivan Blinkov1, DSc – Dejan Mandzukovski2, MSc, Pance NikolovNikolov2, BSc– 1Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Forestry, 2PE Makedonski Shumi 18th18th -- 19th19th FebruaryFebruary 2015,2015, Sofia,Sofia, .Bulgaria. Topics

Brief introduction to the Republic of Macedonia

Historical backgrounds of forestry (Medieval Period - ….)

Current situation (area, coverage, tree species distribution, ownership, growing stock, annual increment, annual harvesting, etc.);

National forest sector development - forest policy and legislation, institutional development and present set up, forest management, control and protection, protected and protective territories, climate changes and forestry, hunting and game management, forest fires, pests and diseases, etc.;

Possibilities for development of the cooperation on regional and international level, with focus on possible thematic working groups within the Forum  . .Brief introduction to RM

Basic Facts

AreaArea –– 2525 713713 kmkm22 Inhabitants:Inhabitants: 22 100100 000000 Density:Density: 8181 inh./inh./ kmkm22

ParticipationParticipation ofof forestryforestry inin GDPGDP –– 0.30.3 -- 0.5%,0.5%, (non-market(non-market forestforest valuesvaluesvalues areareare notnotnot estimatedestimated ininin thisthisthis valuevaluevalue))

ParticipationParticipation ofof forestforest industryindustry (primary(primary andand secondarysecondary woodwood processing,processing, furniture,furniture, paperpaper andand celluloses...)celluloses...) ininin GDPGDPGDP isisis 2.52.52.5 --- 3%3%

Natural conditions - Relief

. Altitude : . 40 – 2764 m asl

. Cca 80% of the territory – hilly- and hilly- mountain zone

. 14 peaks over 2000 masl

- Hydrography

3 BASINS : - basin (44 km2 or 0.17 %) ; Rivers - 35 - Adriatic Sea basin Natural lakes - 3 (3359 km2 or 13.07 %) Reservoirs) -- > 125 - basin

(22310 km2 or 86.76%) C L I M A T E .2 zonal climates: . mediterranean; . temperate-eastern continental . 1 local climate : mountain

- Precipitations: godi{na suma - annual - 733 mm vo leto- summer period – 127.84 mm

. - Temperature: mean annual - 10,52 oC ; abs.max: + 45,9 oC ; abs.min.: -31,5 oC Drought index (by De Marton) : 34.45 . a sub-Mediterranean climate (50 - 500 m); . a moderate-continental-sub-Mediterranean climate (to 600 m); . a hot continental climate (600 - 900 m); . a cold continental climate (900 – 1,100 m); . a sub-forest-continental-mountainous climate (1,100 -1,300 m); . a forest-continental mountainous climate (1,300 – 1,650 m); . a sub-alpine mountainous climate (1,650 – 2,250 m); . an alpine mountainous climate (hs >2,250 m).

SM MCSM HC CC SOIL-CLIMATE- SFCM FCM SAM VEGETATION ZONES AM NationalNational systemsystem ofof protectedprotected areasareas Total area IUCNIUCN categorycategory Number ha

Total (9.0% оf RM) 86 230 083

Ia. Strict protected area 2 7 787 Ib: Wilderness area - - II: National Park 3 114 870 III: Monument of nature 67 78 967 IV: Nature park 12 3 045

V: Protected landscape 1 108

VI:Multipurpose area 1 25 305

RepresentativeRepresentative mapmap ofof naturenature protectionprotection (protected(protected –– green,green, proposedproposed –– blue,blue, significant-red)significant-red)

ProtectedProtected areasareas withwith internationalinternational significancesignificance

Properties on the UNESCO Heritage List - Natural and cultural heritage of Ohrid region (mixed natural and cultural - criteria – mixed - i, iii, iv, vii)

UNESCO Tentative World Heritage List – Natural heritage Markovi Kuli – Criteria - Natural (vii, viii, ix) Cave Slatinski Izvor – Criteria - Natural (vii, viii, ix)

RamsarRamsar sitessites PrespaPrespa lakelake (1995)(1995) DojranDojran lakelake (2007)(2007) .. 44 wetlands-19 reservoirs, 8 marshes, 6 glacial lakes, 3 fish ponds, 3 lakes, 1 temporary water, 2 rivers, 1 aquatic bed and 1 spring. Total area that is covered by wetlands is 57.422 ha Important Plant Area (IPA) Important Bird Area (IBA)

Prime Butterfly Areas (PBA) Phytogeographically - Illyrian province of the within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF and Digital Map of European Ecological Regions by the EEA, the territory of the RM can be subdivided into 4 eco-regions: the Pindus Mountain Mixed forests, , Rhodopes mixed forests, and Aegean sclerophyllous and mixed forests. Diversity of flora- 210 fam., 920 gen., and 3700 spp. Macedonian dendroflorae comprise 319 tree and shrub species, with more than 80 sub-species and varieties, divided into 119 genera and 54 families. Due to the recent investigations, the above mentioned plants comprise 81 forest associations. It is very important to note that there are 49 endemic and sub-endemic species. Lower plants are represented by 1,580 species of Algae, at least 1,250 species of Fungi and some 340 species of Lichens.. The diversity of fauna in the Republic of Macedonia is represented by 9,339 species and 228 subspecies, or a total of 9,567 taxa. Of these, 602 species and 72 subspecies, or a total of 674 taxa, are Macedonian endemics representing 7 % of the entire fauna. - Medieval Period - Period of Ottoman Empire

- XX century up the II World War - Period after the II World War Medieval Period – XIV century

King Dusan Kingdom

XIII-XIV AC - Arriving of German miners – - SASI and Shlesi They cut forests, used woodwood forfor fuel and for mining construction and devastated forests in that region (this regionregion is still the most erosive region in the RM)

First written documents related to “forests”, on the territory of Macedonia is the “King Dusan Law” from the year 1349, (Лета 6857, индикта 2, на праздник Вознесения Господня, месяца мая, в 21 день) .123.123. ВВ связисвязи сс торгами:торгами: гдегде быбы сасысасы леслес нини вырубиливырубили допреждопреж соборасобора этого,этого, пустьпусть тойтой землейземлей ии владеют.владеют. КолиКоли уу владетелявладетеля какогокакого землюземлю отнялиотняли бесправно,бесправно, пустьпусть судятсясудятся сс ниминими владетеливладетели попо законузакону СвятогоСвятого короля.короля. АА впредьвпредь сс соборасобора нынешнегонынешнего пустьпусть сассас лесалеса нене рубит,рубит, аа чточто ырубит,ырубит, пустьпусть нене возделываетвозделывает дада людьмилюдьми нене заселяет,заселяет, пускайпускай тактак ии будетбудет пусто,пусто, чтобчтоб леслес рос.рос. ИИ никтоникто пустьпусть сасусасу леслес рубитьрубить нене запрещает;запрещает; сколькосколько длядля торговторгов надобно,надобно, столькостолько пустьпусть ии рубит.рубит.

. The article 123 (for Sasi) is a response of destruction of the forests made by the miners Sasi. . “Territory where Sasi cut the forest till this date, let it belong to them; If they illegally occupy land that belongs to any ruler, let they be punished according to the king’s Law.; . from now to the future, Sasi must not cut the forest, if Sas cut the forest, let leave the land, not to plough, not to settle, but let it empty, to allow forest growing…. ” OTTOMAN EMPIRE

According to Evliâ ÇelebiÇelebi chronicles (famous traveller from the XVI centuries) these area was fully covered with forests. The Ottoman Empire proclaim “res nullius” (no ownership)ownership) for the forest, thatthat meansmeans everybodyeverybody can cut thethe forestforest forfor free.free. . Desertified region in the central part of Macedonia (along river Vardar, Bregalnica and Crna reka) RESULT of forest cut during the Ottoman Empire along the Vardar river in central Macedonia

Latest period of the Ottoman Empire

. 1858 - “ Ramadan Law “ for nature, forest and water . 1869 - “Chevalier Law“ ,

. 1894 – new law . . Regulated ownership rights (village forests, vak’f forests n (church/monastery, mosque) - . A document called tapia, which proved their right to possess the land.

. Regulated – which forest can be cut, where cut is prohibited, where grazing is forbidden (young forest)

. Planed to be implemented up to 1905 XX century up to the II WW

Balkan wars , the I World War - - again devastation of forests

During the Kingdom of SHS (Serbian, Croats and Slovenian) adopt:

. 1928 - Law on Forests . - administrative dividing of the kingdom (banovina, okrug, srez) decentralization and shifting – downscaling of rights and obligation for forest management . Naroden odbor (People’s council) adopt various regulation and decree . With the Law from 1928, officially was established forestry as economic branch. . The First Forest Cadastre was launched, . Regulated – which forest can be cut, where cut is prohibited, where grazing is forbidden (young forest)

. 1931 - established Tax for Goats (with aim to protect forests)

Period after the II WW – (DFJ, FNRJ, SFRJ) . 1946-7 Law on Forest . “Narodni Odbori” – responsible for forests . Established forest economies

1971 – Established Fund for afforestation of barelands (existed up to 1990)

. 1975 – Adopt Rulebook for Forest Management planning

. Secretariat for Agriculture, Forestry and water economy – administrative political body - 30 forest economies – operative institutions for management of economic forests . Non-economic forests were managed by: National Parks, Water economies, Municipality administration

.1998 – Law on Forests . - Established Public Enterprise “Macedonian Forests” . beside management of economic forest, management of all protective forests (in past managed by water economies and municipalities) was shifted to PE MF

. PE Makedonski shumi (Macedonian Forests) – directorate in Skopje and 30 regional offices

.2009 – Law on Forest

.Forests and forest land - 1,159,600 ha, .Forests - 947,653 ha ( SSDF, 2006). . Forest and forest land 1.095.000 ha of forest land, out of which forests 940.000 ha, (State statistical office, 2009)

-

Land Use in RM

Forest Pastures

Arrable Bareland Arrable Land

Forest and forest land in RM – (Corine LCU – level III)

ForestType stands distributionha % per area 1 Pure Broad-leaved stands 541730 56.10 1.1 b e e c h (Fagus spp) 225766 23.38 1.2 o a k ( Quercus spp.) 280039 29.00 1.3 o t h e r b r o a d l e a v e d s p e c i e s 35925 3.72 2 Pure Coniferous stands 81673 8.46 2.1 b l a c k p i n e ( Pinus nigra) 63958 6.62 2.2 s c o t c h p i n e ( Pinus silvestris) 7864 0.81 2.3 f i r () 3098 0.32 2.4 w h i t e s p r u c e (Picea abies) 1298 0.13 2.5 o t h e r c o n i f e r o u s s p e c i e s 5455 0.56 3 Mixed Broad-leaved stands 277146 28.70 3.1 b e e c h + o t h e r c o n i f e r o u s s p e c i e s 54427 5.64 3.2 o a k + o t h e r c o n i f e r o u s s p e c i e s 193594 20.05 3.3 o t h e r b r o a d l e a v e d s p e c i e s 29125 3.02 4 Mixed Coniferous stands 7656 0.79 4.1 f i r + s p r u c e 598 0.06 4.2 b l a c k p i n e + s c o t c h p i n e 3260 0.34 4.3 o t h e r c o n i f e r o u s s p e c i e s 3798 0.39 5 Mixed Broad-leaved and Coniferous stands 57455 5.95 5.1 b e e c h + f i r + s p r u c e 10055 1.04 5.2 black pine + scotch pine + other broad-leaved species 3832 0.40 5.3 other c o n i f e r o u s 43558 4.51 T O T A L : 965650 100.00 Total growing stock 74.434.000 m3 . Total annual increment 1.830.000 m3

- High forest – 29% (3.45 m3/ha); - Coppices – 71% (1.44 m3/ha); - Mean annual growth: 2.02 m3/ha Distribution of wood mass

.Structure of Forest by Ownership . 90.14% of the total forest area in Macedonia is state owned forest, while their part of the total wood mass is 92.2%. . Private owned forests covers 9.86% (94,146 ha) of the total forest area, and their portion of wood mass represents 7.8% of the total.

. Structure of forests by functions (productive, protective, protected) in hectares and m3. . Therefore the economic forests encompass - 92% but forest in protected areas is about 8% of the total forest area (in this value are calculated park-forest too). . Unfortunately officially protective forests as it was indicated earlier do not exist from legal point of view although they are real on field.

National Strategies /Plans . Strategy for Sustainable Development of Forestry (2006-2026) – with Action Plan (2007-2013) . National strategy for sustainable development of the Republic of Macedonia 2009-2030 . National agriculture and rural development strategy (NARDS), 2014-2020[V1] . Spatial Plan of RM, 2002-2020 . National Water Strategy, 2011-2041 . National Strategy for Land Consolidation . Third national communication on climate change – 2014 . National strategy for biodiversity protection and action plan (new in a final phase of preparation) . National action Plan to Combat Land Degradation and Desertification (in a final phase of preparation) Forestry legislation

. Law on Forests (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia” no. 64/09,24/11, 53/11, 25/13, 79/13, 147/13 and 43/14)

. Law on Hunting (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia” no. 26/09, 82/09, 136/11, 1/12, 69/13, 164/13 and 187/13)

. • Law on Reproductive Material of Forest Trees (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia” no. 55/07 and 148/11)

. • Law on Forestry and Hunting Inspection (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia” no. 88/08, 06/10, 36/11, 74/12, 164/13 and 43/14)

. Law on Nature Protection Related legislation . Law on Environment . Law on Waters . Law on Agriculture and Rural Development . Law on Plant Protection . Law on products for plant protection . Law on pastures . Law on firefighting Service . Law on Crises Management . Law on Protection and Rescue . Law on National infrastructure of geospatial data . Law on mountain paths . Law on greenery . Law on communal affairs . Law on real estate cadastre . Law on spatial and urban planning . Law on inspection supervision . Violations law . Penal code Ministry of Environment and physical planning International context

NCSA

International context  Macedonia has signed and is bound to meet the requirements of these international agreements relevant to the forestry sector:  Biodiversity Convention (1997);  Framework Convention on Climate Change ( 1998);  Conventuion to Combat Land degradation and desertification (2002)  Ramsar Convention (1991);  CITES convention (2000);  Convention for the Protection of Plants (2004);  Membership in the WTO (2003) –  World Heritage Convention (1997);  Aarhus Convention (1999) and other  Miinstrial Conference of protection of Forests (FOREST ).. Main STAKEHOLDERS in Forestry

. MAFWE – Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, water economy (department for forestry, forest police guard, forest and hunting inspectorate)

. PE Makedonski Sumi (Macedonian Forests) . Private forest owners

. Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje – Faculty of Forestry

. NGO’s – CNVP; TRIFOR

Who manage forests?

. PE Macedonian Forests – 83-85% of all forests

. Forest within protected areas according to Law on nature (PI NP’s, PE Jasen, LMA’s,..) – 5-7%

. Private forest owners – 10% . (There are approximately more than 200.000 parcels of forests owned cca 65.000 households, averaging 0,6 ha. )

. Obligatory – for forest >100 ha to be prepared forest management plan . At the moment exists more then 200 forest management plans out of them

. Each FM plan – revision every 10 years . State inspectorate for forestry and hunting control implementation of these plans

Extreme forest management units by wood mass per hectare in PE Macedonian Forests

PE Makedonski SUMI (Macedonian Forests) and Public Institutions National parks (Galicica, Mavrovo, Pelister) are self-financing enterprises. Dominant source of income is wood-mass (for PEMF – 95%, for PI NP – significant). Forests within protected areas are with better quality – Proposed areas for protection (according to Law on Nature) dominantly good forest

According toto thethe LawLaw onon nature,nature, forfor IUCNIUCN 22 –– NatonalNatonal ParkPark should be established new public institutions that will manage integral area. . For other IUCN categories, the Government assign management body REASON for permanent Conflict between forestry

and nature conservation PSC- PC - RC - Year AI - Annual Possible PSC / AI Planed Realized PC / AI RC / PC RC / AI increment* cut cut cut m3 m3 m3 m3 m3 % % % 1998 1609357 1275896 79,28 854748 662668 53,11 77,53 41,18 1999 1609357 1163757 72,31 816177 733280 50,71 89,84 45,56 2000 1609357 1270970 H78,97 A R V777652 E S T I797602 N G 48,32 102,57 49,56 2001 1609357 1265533 78,64 - PEMF782198 - 515192 48,60 65,86 32,01 2002 1609357 1280163 79,54 756805 527941 47,03 69,76 32,80 2003 1609357 1237824 76,91 726679 654296 45,15 90,04 40,66 2004 1609357 1232480 76,58 730371 626884 45,38 85,83 38,95 2005 1609357 1225791 76,17 694482 587944 43,15 84,66 36,53 2006 1609357 1235509 76,77 704636 604870 43,78 85,84 37,58 2007 1609357 1116177 69,36 746635 583078 46,39 78,09 36,23 2008 1609357 1120390 69,62 785165 634718 48,79 80,84 39,44 2009 1609357 1110884 69,03 733060 557452 45,55 76,04 34,64 2010 1609357 1080857 67,16 768022 553657 47,72 72,09 34,40 2011 1609357 1056729 65,66 814251 525235 50,59 64,51 32,64 2012 1609357 999750 62,12 673808 515185 41,87 76,46 32,01 2013 1609357 973271 60,48 666769 480593 41,43 72,08 29,86 Average 1609357 1165374 72,41 751966 597537 46,72 79,50 37,13 Silviculture

.At the moment PE MF manage 19 nursery garden having distributed in all climatic areas inn RM having an average area 27 ha and total capacity of 40 000 000 nurseries.

.Area and capacities of numerous private nursery gardens is much lower.

Afforestation by years 1961-2013

Total afforested area > 200 000 ha (3773 ha/annually) (out of them during existence of Fund for afforestation of barelands afforested 131 000 ha – 6550 ha/ann.) . Successful – 60-70%. Forest Fires

FIRE HAZARD MAP

JICA project ICP forest’s assessment of forest health conditions for Macedonia. This is an assessment done using the official methodology for all Europe, USA and for assessment of tree (forest) condition in relation with air pollution and climate change. According to this methodology 29 plots AroundAround 50%50% ofof thethe assessedassessed treestrees don’tdon’t havehave signssigns ofof crowncrown transparencetransparence butbut aroundaround 45%45% ofof thethe treestrees for assessment are areare inin thethe 11 andand 22 classclass ofof thethe scalescale ofof lossloss ofof established in needles/leavesneedles/leaves (>10<60%).(>10<60%). ItIt meansmeans thatthat thesethese Macedonia (Picture 1). treestrees willwill bebe mostmost vulnerablevulnerable onon thethe climateclimate changechange inin thethe nextnext period.period. Climate changes and forestry

. Forests in Republic of Macedonia are expected to experience high level of impact from climate change, especially the boreal forests, where those impacts could be more dramatic. . . While in other sectors, the influence of these changes is becoming clearer; in the forestry sector we still have a lack of conceptual framework for determination of the vulnerability. . The impacts of climate changes in forestry sector can be either positive or negative. It is important to understand the opportunities that might exist in order to decrease their negative impacts on forests. . .VulnerabilityVulnerability of the of forestry the forestry sector to climate sector change, can be defined as a relation between exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of the sector (Smith, Pilifosova, 2001 –Tailored vulnerability approach for forest management), or V= f (E ,S, A), where: .V- system vulnerability; .E- system exposure; .S- system sensitivity; .A- system adaptive capacity;

. The major sources of exposure to climate change for forests in Macedonia are:

. Increasing of temperature: . - changes: increasing working season, longer period of vegetation;

. Increasing of extreme events, floods, droughts: . - changes: threat to infrastructure, life, inhabitants, socio-economic

. Increasing of forest fire activities: . - changes: threat to infrastructure, reduction in wood supply, increased emission of GHG, decreased GHG absorption

. Increase of insect and diseases outbrakes: . - changes: reduction of wood supply, decreased growth and yield

. Changes in forest productivity: . - changes: wood supply and carbon sequestration . Changes in species composition: Hunting and game management . Game in the Republic of Macedonia is state property and goods of common interest for RM so enjoys special protection under conditions according to the Law on Hunting and the Law on Nature Protection . 23 mammals and 110 birds are assigned as game species.

Game species without protection are: . Mammals: Canis lupus, Vulpes vulpes, Ondatra spp. , Mustela putorius, Mustela erminea, Martes martes, Martes forina, . Birds: Phalacrocorax carbo, Accipiter gentilis, Corvus cornix L, Corvus frugilegus,, Corvus monedula., Pica pica. Sturnus vulgaris

. All other species are on the list of protected (periodicaly or forever).

. Main species are deer hunting, ordinary deer, wild boar, rabbit, partridge, pheasant and partridge rocky

. Game hunting in particular given the concessionaire (domestic and foreign entity) which by the Government gets concession for game in hunting through public competition. . For every hunting adopted special hunting area for 10 years (small game) and 20 years (large game) that must be approved by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy.

. The traditional hunting ground surface depending on the type of game and can be: . - Less than 1,000 hectares, or more than 13,000 ha of small game and . - Less than 2,000 hectares, or more than 25,000 ha for big game

. Total number of hunting areas in the Republic of Macedonia is 250. .

Educational process

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University Faculty of Forestry - Skopje

HIGH SCHOOL (Gymnasium) VOCATIONAL SCHOOL 4 years

PRIMARY School – 9 years

Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM) - 1949 http://www.ukim.edu.mk

. 2400 teaching and research staff; . >50 000 students

. 23 faculties (whole scientific fields) . 5 institutes . 4 public scientific institutes . 1 other high education organization . 7 other organization FACULTY OF

FORESTRY http://www.sf.ukim.edu.mk/ the only scientific- educative institution for forestry in the country History

. Institute of Forestry was established in 1944

. Faculty of Forestry as a part of Agricultural-Forestry Faculty was established in 1947. . In 1975, with a decision of the National Assembly, the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry was transformed and reorganized into two independent institutions. . In 1976, the Faculty of Forestry merged with the Forestry Institute in Skopje, and became it’s legal successor. . In 2011, Department of wood industry separated from the Forestry faculty and was established new faculty for design and technology of furniture and interior

Current study programmes - from 2013/14

4 + 1 + 3 years

. I cycle: Bachelor degree (BSc) – 240 ECTS . II cycle: Master degree (MSc) – 60 ECTS . III cycle: Doctoral degree (PhD) – 180 ECTS

. BSC – Graduate engineer for (60% obligatory- 40% elective courses) . - Forestry . - Landscape design . - Eco-engineering and eco-management

. MSc - Master of . - Forestry . - Landscaping and environment promotion

. PhD – doctor –new curricula is under construction -Development of Forest Sectors in the Balkan Peninsula

- Green Economy and Forest Ecosystem Services

-- Climate Changes and Forestry

FOREST FIRES Satellite image – 25 July 2007 DISTRIBUTION

Bulgaria

R. Macedonia

Albania

. According to the erosion intensity, countries in Europe could be classified in 6 groups. . The most endangered countries (>10 t/ha) are and . . In the second group (5-10 t/ha) are , , , Macedonia and . . Balkan peninsula is the most countries are the most erosive part of Europe

Project: Study and Analysis of Innovative Financing for Sustainable Forest Management in the Southwest Balkan 2012-2014

Case study - Albania: Sustainable Forest Management and Watershed Management

. Mean value of Z- erosion coefficient is 0,54 . Bathymetry - . Sa = 1 331 741 [m3/y] . Ssp = 1087,71 [m3/km2 y] . Erosion mapping and sediment calculation . G = 1 343 467 [m3 y] . Gsp = 1108 [m3/km2 y]

Torrent floods and riverine floods everywhere on the Balkan even in the last few years 2013 - Albania 2014 – Bosnia 2015 – Albania Macedonia Bulgaria

.III National Communication to Climate Changes - www.unfccc.org.mk

.NAP to Combat Land degradation and desertification - www.unep.org.mk