Federal Report on Condition of Forests – Let There Be Wood

The government points out once again that forests in Germany are dying. According to a federal report, four out of five trees are struck by disease. This report recognized the dying of the forests as early as 1984. But all efforts at reform have been in vain. Demands from environmental organizations do not go far enough and the government is not going to use money to buy land for forest protection. But that would be exactly the right thing to do.

German forests have never been as desolate as they are now. A federal report on the condition of German forests (German: Waldzustandsbericht) was published recently. It says that 20% of all trees in Germany are terminally sick. That comes as no surprise, as nothing is done to prevent the woods from dying. The report shows that it has never been more important to save the forests and stop deforestation, and to leave designated areas to their own devices. 

These are the facts stated in the report: Compared to 2022, there has been no significant improvement in the condition of the forests. Trees are suffering from drought and from beetle damage caused by the heat. It all goes back to climate change. Which means, it goes back to the humans, who cause the climate to change. But it is also up to the people to protect the forests, by simply leaving them alone. Since in addition to climate change, people are still cutting down, draining and exploiting woodland for commercial use. 

“The forests are turning into a chronic case,” says Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister for Agriculture and member of the Green Party. His ministry has been documenting the condition of German forests systematically since 1984, taking samples from the growth of treetops. Since sampling started, the percentage of trees struck by disease has been increasing steadily.

The waldsterben was critical already back in 1984. Karl Carstens, then Federal President of Germany and avid hiker, promised appropriate measures. Sadly, nothing has changed since then, as the latest report on German forests bears witness to drastic deterioration. In the 1984 report, less than half of the trees were classified as healthy; only 44% of the canopy was considered substantially thick. In 2024, however, only 20% of the trees had healthy treetops.

Nitrogen compounds, as produced by livestock farming or road traffic, are likely to play a key role in this development. They are the reason many trees produce larger quantities of fruit. But if they grow more fruit, this is at the expense of leaf growth, and the crowns become thinner. That’s why we have to stop building roads through forests. 

Özdemir plans to reform the Federal Forest Act now after 50 years. For 2024, a total of 250 million euros has been allocated for the “promotion” of woodland areas in Germany. The problem is that according to a Spiegelmagazine report, his ministry aims to combine “enhanced forest protection with economic perspectives for forestry businesses.” It should be clear from the start that effective forest protection is not compatible with the interests of commercial forest use. Forest areas should be left alone for years – or even decades. 

“Just Leave Them Alone,” reads a header from the German newspaper taz. The forest is unable to cope, the report says – not only because of climate change, but also because of human behavior. Forests should not be treated like theme parks. Hikers are demanding more and more trekking routes, mountain bikers are dashing through the woods, and hunters and forest owners also want to carry on like they used to. 

There is an urgent need for designated forest areas with no access for human beings – and these areas should be large enough. But the federal government already has plans to invest money otherwise than to buy and protect woodland areas. Only on a small-scale basis, hiking trails are to be eliminated occasionally – and then it’s up to the municipalities to decide. That won’t help at all. 

The environmental protection organization NABU is calling for a more ambitious forest law, as politicians hold the key to preserving forests. “The forests need to be managed in an environmentally friendly manner,” says NABU president Jörg-Andreas Krüger. He is addressing legal requirements for a ban on clear-cutting and drainage as well as a turn of commercial forestry away from “non-natural coniferous woods towards more stable and resilient mixed deciduous forests”.

Sounds like a good start for some few regions, but it’s probably not enough. Real, natural forests cannot be managed in an environmentally friendly way. At best, a forest should not be cultivated at all, but simply left to be what it is – a forest.