On July 1, 2020, as part of the ongoing institutional support to the NFA within the framework of the ADC-funded project Promoting Sustainable Forest Management for Climate Resilient Rural Development in Georgia, a meeting between CENN and the National Forest Agency of Georgia was carried out concerning the revision of the Forest Management Institutional Model and Business Plan draft document. The aim of the document is to create an enabling environment for the NFA, where the organizational changes facilitating multifunctional forest use, reduction of anthropogenic impact on forests, and creation of new economic directions through forest exploitation (e.g. formation of an Ltd). Specifically, the CENN team consultants discussed the following characteristics of the document:
Wood production – social, maintenance, sanitation, special cutting;
Management of business yards and sale of manufactured timber by auction and direct sale;
Removal and sale of waste from the forest;
Development of recreational forests and commissioning of tourist services.
An agreement was reached that an Ltd. will begin to gradually operate region by region. Mtskheta-Mtianeti was named the first target region. After the final version of the document is developed, it will be presented to the Minister, after which the presentation of the document will be held within the framework of the National Forest Program (NFP). It was announced at the meeting that the Ltd. will be able to employ at least 650 people.
The meeting was organized within the framework of the project, Promoting Sustainable Forest Management for Climate Resilient Rural Development in Georgia, implemented by CENN via funds provided by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC).
