A ‘PSG’ forest management plan in a private forest

The ‘PSG’ forest management plan (Plan Simple de Gestion) is an action plan for forests in France. The document binds the forest owner in a ‘contract’, to which they will refer before undertaking any silviculture work.

The ‘PSG’ forest management plan is established for 10-20 years and most significantly includes a schedule of silvicultural work for the forest.

A technical resource

giving the owner:

• more in-depth knowledge of their forest
• a management record for their lots, listed in the annual schedule of felling and other work
• ongoing management in the event of an inheritance or sale of the forest assets

In most cases, the forest management plan also provides a guarantee on sustainable management, thus entitling the forest owner to benefit from public aid and the relevant tax provisions.

Who is concerned by the ‘PSG’ forest management plan in a private forest?

The ‘PSG’ forest management plan is mandatory in France for:

• Properties of over 25 ha on a single site
• Properties of 25 ha or more, calculated on the basis of the main group of lots and any isolated lots of more than 4 ha within the same municipality or in the adjacent municipalities
• Properties of more than 10 ha that are subject to a fiscal commitment under the terms of the DEFI forest scheme (a scheme offering tax incentives on investment, article 199 decies H of the French General Tax Code).

Who can draft a ‘PSG’ forest management plan?

The forest owner will submit the ‘PSG’ forest management plan for approval from the CRPF (regional center for forest owners).

However, it may be drafted by:

1. The owner
2. A professional such as a forestry consultant, a forestry cooperative, a forest manager, a forest management professional

Nonetheless, even if the owner entrusts the drafting of the forestry management plan to a third party, they must be closely involved in its drafting, especially when defining the objectives assigned to their forest.

How does the PSG approval process work?

1. Two copies of the ‘PSG’ forest management plan are submitted to your region’s CRPF (regional center for forest owners).
2. The CRPF technician examines the application, which includes a visit of the forest with its owner and/or manager. Additional documents or corrections may then be requested or suggested.
3. The CRPF’s decision: the CRPF board, made up of elected forest owners, meets three times a year. It decides whether to approve or reject the PSG plan. In the event of refusal, the owner has two months within which to submit an appeal to the ministry in charge of forests.

The PSG is only applicable once it has been approved. It may be modified at any time (felling not initially planned, addendums, emergency felling, etc.) on request from the owner to the CRPF.

What should the ‘PSG’ forest management plan contain?

In a ‘PSG’ forest management plan, the owner presents:

• Certain administrative details to identify and characterize the forest: name and address of the owner, surface area and location of the forest (with a site plan), fiscal commitments (if applicable).
• A description of the forest (with a map of the stands) including a plot plan, the stands and their health condition, access roads, etc.
• The economic issues affecting the forest (outlets for wood, link with local industries, other production, etc.), environmental concerns (ecological factors, protection zones, etc.) and social issues (number of visitors, access agreement, jobs created, etc.).
• A review of the previous PSG plan if applicable (particularly the technical or economic difficulties encountered).
• The objectives are defined in terms of wood production, hunting and attractiveness.
• A plan for felling and other work is defined: felling work planned in the PSG may be brought forward or postponed for four years (with no administrative formalities required), which means it remains very flexible.
• An audit of the forest balance – game present on the property, indicating changes in surface areas sensitive to damage (plantations and regeneration) and the desired changes in the hunting plan.

The PSG forestry management plan is an expression of the type of management preferred by the owner but it must also comply with the Regional Silviculture Management Scheme (SRGS), which can be consulted on the CRPF website and which sets out the silvicultural guidelines for private forestry management in the region concerned.

The forestry management plan should also comply, where applicable, with the regulations in the ‘foreseeable natural risks prevention plan’.

The regulatory content of the ‘PSG’ forest management plan is stipulated in article L122-1 and thereafter of the Forestry Code.

Forêt Investissement knows forest managers in every French département and can advise you on who to call on to help draft your forestry management plan.