forstamt

Forstamt is a forestry administration office in German-speaking countries tasked with the management, protection, and use of forests within a defined geographic area. It can operate as a district-level unit within a state’s forestry administration or as a municipal department. The exact structure and title vary by country and region, but the core function is to implement forest policy on the ground and ensure compliance with forestry laws.

Main duties include planning and supervising sustainable forest management, conducting forest inventories and monitoring conditions, and issuing permits for timber harvesting and forest operations. The Forstamt enforces forest, nature conservation, and land-use regulations, coordinates fire prevention and pest control, and oversees reforestation and biodiversity measures. It also manages forest-related revenues, subsidies, and certain licensing procedures, and provides advice and support to private and public landowners. In many systems, the Forstamt collaborates with wildlife and water authorities for integrated natural resource management and may influence local planning and infrastructure projects that affect forests.

Organization and operations often involve professional foresters, forest technicians, and administrative staff. In field practice, forest districts or revier (forest sections) operate under a central Forstamt or reporting structure, with local offices handling day-to-day operations. The term Forstamt has historical roots in Prussia and other German states, where forest administration was reorganized in the 19th and 20th centuries; in modern usage, some regions retain the term, while others use equivalents such as Forstverwaltung or Forstbetriebe.

See also: forestry administration, forest law, forest management.