Turning Fire Risk into Forest Resilience: How Active Forest Management is Protecting Europe’s Forests

As wildfires intensify across Europe due to climate change and land-use and other rural livelihoods change, a new video by European State Forest Association sheds light on a powerful, practical solution: active forest management. The video emphasises hands-on stewardship of public forests to reduce fire risk and build long-term resilience.

The video highlights how dense, abandoned or poorly managed forests—often the result of past practices and changes in land use—are especially vulnerable to fire, disease, and drought. In contrast, actively managed forests use methods like strategic thinning, introducing mixed-species plantings, and maintaining a healthy understory by removing excess brush. These measures reduce the amount of fuel available to wildfires while fostering healthier, more climate-adapted forest ecosystems.

This message is especially timely as European countries brace for hotter, drier summers. It offers not only a blueprint for forest agencies, but also a clear call to action for policymakers, communities, and managing organisations.

Active forest management is a science-backed evolution of stewardship and it may be the key to ensuring our forests are not just surviving, but thriving in the face of growing fire threats.

The video is now available on our Youtube channel and can be sent upon request in various formats and in 17 languages: EN, ES, CA, DE, FI, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, NL, PL, RO, SE, SL, SR and UK.

 

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