Wood price in the basement

The forest is doing well, the market less so

Vorarlberg's forests are in good condition.

(Bild: Susanne Lamm )

Although Vorarlberg's forests have survived this year's hot summer and other capricious weather conditions well, the price of timber leaves a lot to be desired - with the result that fewer trees are being felled.

The good news first: the bark beetle did not have a peak season this summer, and the damage caused by the voracious six-legged creatures was limited in the local forests. This is also confirmed by Josef Moosbrugger, President of the Chamber of Agriculture and Chairman of the Vorarlberg Forestry Association. "Our forests survived this summer very well, the wet spring and the lower temperatures had a positive effect and the bark beetle infestation was manageable."

Nevertheless, Moosbrugger is not entirely happy - and the price of wood is to blame: "If the price of wood is lower than in previous years, then the forest owner doesn't cut any wood." As a result, the amount of wood removed from Vorarlberg's forests is decreasing. "This is also not good for forests, as they need to be continuously managed," explains Moosbrugger. And only a managed forest is ultimately more climate-friendly.

If the price of wood is lower than in previous years, the forest owner will not cut any wood. That's not good for forests either.

Landwirtschaftskammerpräsident Josef Moosbrugger

Spruce monocultures are history
Keyword climate change: more and more forest owners are turning to mixed forests, the days of spruce monocultures are finally history. Silver fir and deciduous trees are far more stable, as they are deep-rooted and therefore better able to withstand storms. A "stable mix" is needed, emphasizes Moosbrugger.

Of course, this also requires wood to be removed, as this is the only way new wood can grow. However, if the market weakens, the motivation to fell trees is low. Forest owners are also affected by inflation - for example, the cost of maintaining forest roads has risen, as have the prices of forestry equipment.

Local wood would not only be ideal as a building material, for example as a replacement for reinforced concrete, but also as a regional energy source. "Firewood from the region promotes independence from Russian gas. If we want to promote this independence, then we need continued financial support from the forest fund," demands Moosbrugger. The funds from this pot of money benefit forest owners who take measures for forest health - for example in terms of biodiversity or in connection with securing wood as a raw material.

In Vorarlberg, less wood is felled than would be possible.

(Bild: Manuel Schwaiger)

Anger about EU bureaucracy
The controversial EU regulation on deforestation is not only a thorn in Moosbrugger's side. For him, the bureaucratic effort involved - each felled tree needs its own number with comprehensive GPS geolocalization - bears no relation to the benefits, as the forest area in Austria is continuously increasing and not decreasing anyway. "I simply cannot understand why the EU is unable to take a differentiated view of countries like Austria in this matter," says the farmers' representative with annoyance. He also suggests assigning numbers, but not for each individual tree, but for the respective federal states from which the raw material originates.

Despite the bureaucratic mischief, Moosbrugger is hopeful when it comes to finding a way out of the low price crisis. Several factors could play into the hands of local forest owners: "Now that there is much less damaged timber across Europe, no more Russian timber is reaching the Scandinavian region and, last but not least, the economy is picking up again somewhat, there could be an upward trend on the log market in the foreseeable future."