👥 A qui va adreçada?

• Propietaris i propietàries forestals
• Tècnics i professionals del sector
• Persones interessades en la gestió del territori

On November 17, 2025, ARESCAT (the Association of Wood Merchants and Sawyers of Catalonia) issued a press release warning about the longstanding raw material supply issue that the forest sector has been facing for many years. Here’s a summary of the situation.

In 2021, the Government of Catalonia approved the Bioeconomy Strategy of Catalonia 2021-2030 (EBC2030) with the goal of promoting a more sustainable use of natural resources, including local timber. Although this strategy has increased the demand for timber for circular bioeconomy projects, the supply has not increased proportionally. This has led to a significant reduction in available timber stocks, with primary transformation companies unable to obtain enough raw material to meet their needs.

This situation is concerning because more than 70% of Catalonia’s forests remain unmanaged, increasing the risk of forest fires and other disturbances such as pests, droughts, and diseases. As a result, sawmills are forced to rely on imports to cover 30% of the raw material they need.

One of the most serious problems is the lack of professionalization in the sector. There is a shortage of skilled labor, with many forest companies facing an aging workforce and a lack of generational replacement. This makes forestry jobs seem tough, undervalued, and unattractive to younger generations, which exacerbates the situation. Therefore, the lack of professionals hinders effective forest management, increasing risks such as forest fires and the impacts of climate change.

At the supply chain level, in the short term, a timber shortage is expected, particularly for the production of pallets and biomass, which poses a threat to several Catalan industries that depend on these resources. The timber shortage could also affect biomass boilers, leaving some industries without fuel.

 

 

As for forest management, Catalonia has a very low utilization rate (only 28% of what forests grow annually), far below the European average of 65%. This imbalance is more pronounced in public forests, with an exploitation rate of 9.6%, while private forests reach 34.8%. These figures indicate that a large part of the forest area remains untouched, putting both forest health and the national forestry economy at risk.

Implications for Small Forest Holdings

The lack of professionalization in the sector has several direct implications for small forest owners. First, the absence of active forest management makes it difficult to take advantage of timber from their properties. This situation can lead to lost opportunities for owners, as many lack the resources or training needed to manage their lands efficiently and profitably.

Additionally, the lack of incentives for training and modernization in the sector may leave small owners without access to more efficient management techniques, such as using specialized machinery. Combined with the shortage of skilled labor, this could increase the maintenance costs of their properties and reduce their competitiveness in the timber market.

Finally, the timber shortage may result in increased competition from larger operators or external companies, which could displace small owners from the local market. This poses a threat to the economic sustainability of these owners, who may be forced to abandon forestry activities, leading to the degradation of the forest and a loss of local employment opportunities.

Therefore, professionalization and modernization of the forest sector are key not only for the sustainability of Catalonia’s forests but also to ensure the economic future of small forest owners. They need support to compete in an increasingly demanding and complex market.

 

For this reason, developing a forest management approach that enhances the resistance and resilience of these forests is one of the key goals that the Association of Owners and the Montnegre and Corredor Forest Group aim to promote and implement.

This management has the following characteristics:

• Increase in structural complexity and promotion of continuous cover: Irregular or semi-regular management to ensure continuous cover, with selective thinning to control regrowth and ensure soil cover.

 

• Increase in species complexity: Promote the mixing of existing species or enhance diversity through enrichment planting.

 

• Mild, frequent, and targeted interventions: Extraction of 25% of basal area every 10-15 years (once 25 m²/ha of basal area is achieved). These cuts allow for: faster recovery of growth after cutting, maintenance of the forest environment, control of shrub species development, and reduced thinning costs.

 

• Close-to-nature criteria: Select the most valuable trees for biodiversity, seed production, and timber production, removing 1-2 competitors at the canopy level.

 

• Criteria for maintaining and promoting biodiversity.

 

• Valorization and diversification of products: Management of forest products with the goal of maximizing their quality for uses such as cabinetmaking or carpentry.

 

Montnegre-Corredor Forest Owners Association (APMC) is a private non-profit organization established in 1992 with the aim of unifying the voice of the forest owners in Montnegre and Corredor, defending their interests, and addressing common issues.

Its area of action covers the 22 municipalities within the Montnegre-Corredor Massif, with 32,400 hectares of forested land. Currently, it has 220 members, representing 9,200 hectares (28% of the forested area of the massif). The organization is assembly-based and has a board of 9 members, as well as a technical team consisting of a forest engineer-manager, an administrative officer, and a geographer.

Over the years, the Association has contributed to raising awareness about the natural, social, and forest values of the massif, and to promoting forest management as a necessary activity for maintaining the landscape balance. The Association has driven forest management through improvement actions, joint planning, climate change adaptation techniques, fire prevention, and the valorization of local products. As a result of this work, in 2017 the Montnegre and Corredor Forest Group SL (AFMC SL) was created, specializing in the execution of forest management actions and product management.

 

The APMC’s actions are divided into 3 main lines of work:

• Joint Actions

The APMC represents its members’ interests before public administrations. It organizes regular meetings with the Montnegre-Corredor Park, municipalities, and other public authorities to promote forest activity. One notable initiative is the creation of Quality Suber SL (https://qualitysuber.com/), aimed at improving the marketing of local cork.

 

•  Promotion of Forest Management

The APMC promotes forest planning through the development of joint management plans (7 plans, each covering 2,000 hectares). It also encourages actions for fire prevention, climate change resilience, and biodiversity. The Group AFMC SL coordinates silvicultural works, restoration efforts, and the commercialization of local forest products. To support this, it has a platform for storing and processing products, as well as its own truck. The Association also participates in the SingularWood project (https://singularwood.cat/) to promote local wood. The technical team maintains constant contact with the members, providing support on various issues such as grants and boundary disputes. Additionally, the Association provides technical support to the Montnegre and Corredor Shepherds Association, aiming to promote extensive livestock farming and integrate it into the forest management of the massif.

• Knowledge Transfer and Innovation

The APMC identifies issues and opportunities in the forest sector and shares innovations that impact Montnegre and Corredor in particular. To date, more than 20 articles, 72 workshops, congresses, 5 European projects, and academic mentoring have been developed. The Association also publishes the Aulet magazine annually, addressing forest, social, and natural topics relevant to the Montnegre-Corredor region.

• El camió forestal de l’Associació va proporcionar ajuda a l’Ajuntament de Tordera per a retirar els arbres caiguts de l’esclafit del 31 d’agost (https://radiotordera.cat/radio/130885/  https://www.instagram.com/p/DOF3A0pCBXp/?img_index=5&igsh=dDE4d293YmZtcWZn)

• S’ha certificat l’anualitat 2025 dels ajuts per al manteniment de les àrees de baixa càrrega de combustible estratègiques i complementàries per a la prevenció de danys forestals mitjançant pasturatge.

• Continuem amb els treballs de prevenció d’incendis en el marc del Programa Anual de la Diputació de Barcelona i del CPF.

• S’ha demanat ajuts per a pastors pel desenvolupament d’infraestructures i s’ha executat una sembra i un tancat en el marc del Programa Anual de la Diputació de Barcelona.

• Hem iniciat els treballs de millora del bosc de ribera a la Tordera, en el marc de les subvencions de l’Agència Catalana de l’Aigua (ACA) per actuacions de recuperació de riberes i de millora de l’estat ecològic en zones humides al districte de conca fluvial de Catalunya

• S’han lliurat diversos plans de gestió de finques privades

• S’ha aprovat per part del CPF el PTGMFc Tordera centre i diversos plans de gestió de finques privades.

• Vam participar en la taula rodona de la jornada “Dones i bosc: donant respostes a la gestió forestal sostenible” realitzada a la Biblioteca de Tordera el passat 15 d’octubre

• En el marc de la setmana del bosc vam desenvolupar 3 jornades: una jornada divulgativa al públic general per a conèixer el bosc gestionat i 2 jornades tècniques: l’una per explicar el projecte BIOFORIN i l’altre sobre diferents mètodes de gestió forestal adaptativa al canvi climàtic a escala de rodal i paisatge: Més informació: https://montnegrecorredor.org/jornades/

• El Consell de redacció de l’Aulet ens hem reunit per a decidir el contingut de l’Aulet 2026.