Proceedings Book / Bildiri Kitabı - Orman Fakültesi - Süleyman ...

2 nd International Non-Wood Products Symposium 8-10 September 2011 - Isparta/TURKEY
1. INTRODUCTION
Private afforestations have become an important
field of activity in Turkish forestry in recent years.
In these practices, the main goals are to increase
the forested land by private initiatives and to
provide local communities with additional sources
of income. Recently, most of these afforestations
are established with income generating species
such as almond (Prunus sp.) and walnut (Juglans
sp.), which produces highly profitable non-wood
forest products for local communities. For the last
decade, there was a considerable increase in the
area of private afforestations, but there are also
some issues which need to be resolved.
2. REGULATIONS ABOUT PRIVATE
AFFORESTATIONS
Private afforestations are carried out according to
Afforestation Regulation No 27215 and Private
Afforestation Circular No 20. These regulations
have been updated several times over the years.
Based on these regulations, private afforestations
can be established by real and legal entities. These
afforestations can be established on forestland,
treasury land or private land. Forest land has to be
unproductive forest tracts or openings if
considered for these afforestations. A minimum of
0.5 ha is allowed on forestland and private
properties, while a minimum of 2 ha is required
for treasury lands. A maximum allowable land
area is 300 ha at one time.
Various species can be used for these
afforestations. On forestlands, main forest tree
species with wood products or secondary species
with non-wood products can be used, in pure or
mixed manner. These include pine (Pinus sp.),
cedar (Cedrus libani), fir (Abies sp.), spruce
(Picea sp.), oak (Quercus sp.), beech (Fagus sp.),
maple (Acer sp.) etc. for main species and walnut,
chestnut (Castanea sativa), pistachio (Pistachia
vera), carob (Ceratonia siliqua), hawthorn
(Creatagus orientalis), almond, laurel (Laurus
nobilis) for income generation species. Medicinal
and aromatic plants can also be used beneath these
species a on these forest lands.
On treasury and private lands, on the other hand,
the same main forest tree species and fruit species
can be used, along with medicinal and aromatic
plant underneath. The main difference is that this
time olive can also be included as income
generation fruit species. In addition, agricultural
products can also be produced on these lands, as
long as they don’t negatively affect the main
species.
These afforestations should be managed by
management plans prepared by private forestry
bureau. Entrepreneurs are apply for a 15-year
credit with low interest rates for fast growing
income generation species, or 30-year credit with
no interest for min tree species with slow growth.
They can use these credits to cover the cost of
fencing, site preparation, planting, seeding, seed,
seedling, scion, and tending. Owners can utilized
the woody and non-wood products they produce
based on these plans.
3. HISTORY OF PRIVATE
AFFORESTATIONS IN TURKEY
Afforestations have been a significant field of
practice in Turkish forestry. By the end of 2008,
significant afforestation activities have been
performed on almost 2 million ha of land by state
forestry authorities (AGM 2009). Several years
ago, a new action plan was also developed to
perform afforestation, erosion control and
rehabilitation activities on another 2.3 million ha
of forest land (AGM 2007).
However, private afforestations are relatively new
field of practice for Turkish forestry. Private
afforestations started to take place in 1986 with
limited interest. By the end of 2000, only about 38
thousand ha of land was assigned to private
afforestations (Konukçu 2000). In terms of
ownership of the land, private afforestations on
forest land contributed to 74 % of the total, 21 %
of it was on treasury lands, and the remaining was
on private land.
With more flexible regulations and allowance of
fruit trees in private afforestations, the interest for
these activities has increased considerable in the
last decade (Figure 1). By the end of 2008, the
area of land allocated for private afforestations
exceeded 80 thousand hectares, and more than half
of the land was established with income
generating species (AGM 2009). These species
included almond, pistachio, walnut, pine and olive
(Table 1). These numbers shows that most
afforestation (% 79) was carried out on forest
lands. In addition, pine and almond contributed to
more than half of the afforestations. Almost all of
the establishments on private (registered) lands
were carried out with almond, pine and walnut.
There is a great enthusiasm and willingness by the
state authorities to encourage private afforestations
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