Grunewald Forest, Berlin
Long-term stewardship of a city asset

The Berlin forest covers 17,500 hectares, 6,000 of which are within the current city boundaries (making up almost 20% of the total city area). The city bought the forest area in 1915, aiming to prevent speculative development, provide green space for the city and ensure a local supply of timber. The result is that Berliners now have access to extensive areas of publicly accessible green space at little or no cost.

Commercial forestry within the area is managed according to sustainable principles, which has the benefit of producing higher value timber whilst increasing biodiversity. In practice this requires:

• Maintenance of the forest’s structure through avoidance of clear felling
• Forest renewal by natural regeneration, with retention of old-growth
• Harvesting through the scheduled selection of individual trees
• Protection of native habitats with particular attention to endangered species
  

Currently 247 hectares of the forest are under protection, with visitor access limited in these areas. The success of this management approach was acknowledged with Forest Stewardship Council accreditation in 2002.

Access by residents and visitors is a central consideration in forest management, requiring additional measures such as pathways and the fencing of areas to allow natural re-growth. Signage and interpretation are used to raise public awareness of how the forest is managed. Management costs are greater in areas which attract significant numbers, and the provision of facilities and commercial activity in these areas generates an income stream. There is also a focus on public transport locations, which ensure a broader spectrum of the public can benefit.

Sources:
1. Berlin Digital environmental atlas (1995) Age structure and investory of the forests, Department of Urban Development, http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/umwelt/umweltatlas/ei504.htm
2. Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umweltschutz (1994) Ein neuer Umgang mit dem Wald (A new way of managing forests)