The main objective of the NEWFOR project is the improvement of mountain forest accessibility for a better efficiency of wood harvesting and transport in a context of sustainable forest management and wood industry in changing climate.
Operational objectives:
- Sharing of knowledge and development of tools regarding the use of an innovative remote sensing technology (LiDAR: aerial and terrestrial laser scanning) for forest growing stock location, characterization and evaluation of mobilization conditions.
- Sharing of knowledge and development of tools for the optimization of timber harvesting and transport from the technical and economical points of view.
- Identification of actions and tools requirements at regional and local level
- Development of methodology and tools, in cooperation with political decision makers at regional level, dedicated to improve the connectivity between forest resources and wood industries.
Following the EU Gothenburg priorities (2001) with its objectives of effective management of forest ecosystems and risk prevention as well as protection and preservation of forest ecosystems, NEWFOR will contribute to the goal of sustainable development of environment and land use with regard to the needs of today’s and future generations. Furthermore, the role of forests for a large forest-based sector (forestry, wood-based industry) and an expanding bio-economy must be considered. In 2013 the EU will develop a new mountain forest agenda for rural development policies. NEWFOR will actively participate in the building up of this new agenda thanks to the dissemination of the project results and the writing of a list of measures for policy decision makers support.
Users of project outcomes
The project targets a broad range of end-users: local authorities, public administrations, forest administrations, road and transportation administrations, forest owners, forest practitioners, forest industry managers, NGOs, political decision makers and policy-makers, and also forest students.
NEWFOR intends to provide practical help in managing forest resources, through direct involvement of the target groups as part of the partnership network or members of the reference panels.
The practice-oriented outputs (methodological manuals, tools, maps) are designed for broad distribution and dissemination via transnational workshops, conferences, field trips and training courses on sustainable mobilisation of wood in Europe.
