2017 – A year of anniversary celebrations

The year 2017 was an important year of anniversary celebrations for some EUSTAFOR members.

On 11 September 2017, Österreichische Bundesforste AG celebrated 20 years since their transition from a State Forestry Administration to a commercial enterprise of the Republic of Austria. The main celebrations took place in the Schloss Eckartsau in the Danube floodplains near Vienna.

In 1997, the Austrian Federal Forestry was re-established as a public limited company. At the age of 20 years, just out of its infancy, the company has successfully developed over the past two decades. In addition to the core business of forestry and hunting, real estate, services and renewable energies were important new entrepreneurial impulses.

Today, Austrian Federal Forests are much broader and more colorful than they were 20 years ago. The future, however, brings new challenges related to climate change, energy transition, increasing land use and the demand for renewable raw materials.

This year Lesy České Republiky also commemorated the 25^th anniversary of its foundation. Since 1992, Lesy CR has become a significant and highly respected state forest manager. Foresters from neighboring countries of the Czech Republic were invited to celebrate this important date along with Czech Deputy Minister for Agriculture and LCR management and staff on 23-24 November 2017, at Chateau Židlochovice near Brno.

EUSTAFOR would like to extend to the CEO’s of and all staff members of these organizations its sincere congratulations and much success for the future management of their state forests.