Helping natural forests together

Within a joint project LESY SR and its cross-border partner Ipoly Erdő Zrt. launch a new project. The “Helping natural forests together” (SKHU/1601/1.1/010.) called project is implemented under the Interreg V-A Slovakia-Hungary Cooperation Program. 

In the border regions, the current tender for “Helping natural forests together” is the continuation of the successful HU-SK FOR FORESTS competition. This project further strengthens co-operation between the Slovak and Hungarian state logging companies, linking regional initiatives for the environmental development of forestry and cooperating regions.

Partners will carry out the transforming stabilization of the endangered homogeneous and of the same age forests. On the basis of this project both partners’ aim to increase the forest’s public welfare function with performing such excursion and leisure time locations, where there is possibility for family programs in the forest. At Ipoly Erdő Zrt. acacia stocks in large areas threaten native forests as a natural heritage. The project encompasses the goal of transforming acacia stocks into native oak and Pannonian turkey oak that will be achieved through a novel technological process. LESY SR is planning to continuously support native tree species in forestry by removing undesirable shrubs and tree species in special forest care technology.
With the implementation of the competition, a playground, a new educational trail, forest rest and excursion sites will be set up in Hungary and Slovakia. Domestic and cross-border tourism is expected to increase. According to the plans in the tender, forestry works affect more than 1,000 ha of forest area and also a 3.8 km long “green path” will be created. The competition also includes elements of a coordinated communication strategy (publishing professional articles, broadcasting television, creating information boards, running a three-language sub-page), thus helping to promote the INTERREG program. By mutual propagation, the number of cross-border visitors in the affected areas would be increased by both partners (approximately 3,000 a year).

The total budget of the application is 778 106,52 EUR, of which Ipoly Erdő Zrt. as a lead partner can use 411 324,20 EUR and LESY SR will be able to use 366 782,32  EUR.