The Eternal Forest target programme in the Zemplén Mountains

Péter Laczkó, a forester in northern Hungary’s Zemplén Mountains, used support from the Hungarian Rural Development Programme (RDP) to introduce a new type of forest management; to develop a process suitable for the new management method; and to acquire modern, forest-friendly machinery. 
The essence of the new method is to open-up a minimum of one ‘break’ per hectare in the forest, to leave gaps where direct sunshine can reach the forest floor. This allows the most locally viable, genetically valuable vegetation to flourish, ensuring the continuous renewal of the forest. In connection with this new method, the so called ‘Eternal Forest’ target programme, Péter Laczkó also received support under the ‘Nature-friendly material handling methods’ project call. The essence of which is to cut down trees in such a way as not to damage the remaining stock. This requires the use of professional and suitably small machines; Péter Laczkó therefore applied for a third type of support, which he used to purchase the necessary machinery to carry out this new type of forestry management.