forests Austria - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 2011

With Resolution 61/193, the United Nations declared this year the International Year of Forests. On this occasion - in cooperation with the Austrian Mint - an attractive block of special stamps will be published which, in its round-shaped motif, shows typical representatives of the flora and fauna of native forests. The aim of the United Nations is to promote awareness and knowledge about the conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of present and future generations. It should be pointed to the special importance of the forest and a sustainable forest management also in the context of the fight against poverty. Austria's area has about 47 percent forest share nationwide. It is a forest area of ​​more than 3.3 million hectares. The provinces of Styria and Carinthia have the highest proportion of forest land, each with around 61 percent, and even the federal capital of Vienna surprisingly has about 21 percent forest area. Almost three quarters of the native forest is privately owned, about 16 percent are managed by the Austrian Federal Forests, 9 percent are communal forest, 2 percent community forest and 1 percent are Landeswald. The management of a forest is only one of many tasks. According to the current "Forest Development Plan", about two-thirds of the forest area is subject to this utility function. Especially in mountainous regions, the so-called protective function for settlements and economic areas is of great importance. In addition, the forests naturally also serve welfare and, ultimately, recreation. The forest, an important habitat of many native species, can undoubtedly be described as a "true performance miracle". It fulfills a variety of irreplaceable tasks for us humans and our environment - among other things it supplies the renewable, environment-friendly, natural raw material wood, to which today hardly a meaningful alternative gives. The unique ecosystem of the forest is home to a natural treasure that should be preserved with all its might. For this reason, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management urged all public institutions, public and private interest groups as well as anyone interested in forests to jointly develop the careful handling of the forest in order to protect the diverse interests in the use of the forest Future together. The new special stamp block is a small contribution to promoting the corresponding awareness.