Forest Ordinance (ForO)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Section 1 Forest Management
Art. 18 Forestry planning
(Art. 20 para. 2 ForA) 1 The cantons shall issue regulations for the planning of forest management. These shall define, in particular: a. the types of plans and their content; b. the instances responsible for planning; c. the planning goals; d. how the planning data are acquired and used; e. the planning and control procedures; f. the regular reviewing of the plans. 2 The forestry planning documents must describe, at least, the location conditions as well as the forest functions and their importance. 3 In the case of inter-operational planning, the cantons shall ensure that the population: a. is informed of the goals and progress of the planning; b. may be involved in a suitable manner; c. may inspect it. 4 They shall take account of the spatial impact of forestry planning in their structural planning.
Para. 4 — Inserted by No I 5 of the O of 28 Jan. 2015 on Amendments to the Ordinance Law on the Environment, in particular in relation to the programme agreements for the programme period 2016–2019, in force since 1 March 2015 (AS 2015 427).
Art. 19 Silvicultural measures
(Art. 20 ForA) 1 All maintenance interventions that contribute to the conservation or restoration of the stability and the quality of a stand are classified as silvicultural measures. 2 Measures carried out as part of young forest maintenance are: a. young growth maintenance, thicket maintenance and stem thinning in order to create resistant and adaptable stands suitable to the location; b. specific measures to maintain regrowth in selection forests, in other multi-layered forests, in coppices with standards and coppice forests as well as in multi-layered forest margins; c. protective measures against damage caused by game; d. the creation of paths in areas of difficult access. 3 Thinning and regeneration measures are: a. slash removal and the creation of new stands and the necessary accompanying measures; b. wood harvesting and transport. 4 Minimum maintenance measures for conserving the protective function of the forest are maintenance interventions that are restricted to ensuring th
Para. 2 let. a — Amended by No I of the O of 17 Aug. 2016, in force since 1 Jan. 2017 (AS 2016 3215).
Art. 20 Clearcutting
(Art. 22 ForA) 1 Clearcutting is the complete or almost complete removal of a stand, which gives rise to ecological conditions similar to those on open lands in the cutting area or causes serious detrimental effects to it or to the nearby stands. 2 Clearcutting does not arise, if the old stand is cleared following sufficient and secured regeneration.
Section 2 Forest Reproductive Material
Art. 21 Production and use
(Art. 24 ForA) 1 The cantons shall guarantee the supply of appropriate suitable forest reproductive material. 2 The competent cantonal forest authority shall select the forests stands, from which forest reproductive material may be obtained. It shall notify the seed stands to the FOEN. 3 It shall control the commercial and industrial production of seeds and plant parts and issues certificates of origin. 4 Only forest reproductive material of certified origin may be used for forestry purposes. 5 The FOEN shall advise the cantons about: a. the production, supply and use of forest reproductive material; b. the safeguarding of genetic diversity. 6 It keeps a register of the seed stands and a register of the genetic reserves.
Art. 22 Import and export
(Art. 24 ForA) 1 The import of forest reproductive material requires the authorisation of the FOEN. 2 The authorisation is granted if: a. the forest reproductive material is appropriate for cultivation and its origin is confirmed by an official certificate; or b. the importer declares in writing that the reproductive material will be used exclusively outside of the forest. 2bis The authorisation to import genetically modified forest reproductive material is regulated by the Release Ordinance of 10 September 2008; the terms of reference of the present Ordinance are also applicable. 3 The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) shall enact regulations on the issuing of export documents for forest reproductive material.
Para. 2bis — SR 814.911 Para. 2bis — Inserted by Art. 51 No 3 of the Plant Protection Ordinance of 28 Feb. 2001 (AS 2001 1191). Amended by Annex 5 No 16 of the Release Ordinance of 10 Sept. 2008, in force since 1 Oct. 2008 (AS 2008 4377). Para. 3 — The designation of the administrative entity was amended according to Art. 16 para. 3 of the Publications Ordinance of 17 Nov. 2004 (AS 2004 4937). Para. 3 — Name in accordance with No I 5 of the O of 28 Jan. 2015 on the Amendment of Ordinance Law on
Art. 23 Business management
(Art. 24 ForA) 1 Public and private seed extractories, tree nurseries, forest gardens and retailers must keep a record of the origin, processing, breeding and supply of forest reproductive material as well an inventory of such material. 2 They shall inform the purchasers of forest reproductive material of its classification and origin in their quotations, on their goods and in their invoices. 3 The FOEN shall control their business management. It may require the assistance of the cantons for this.
Art. 24 Technical provisions
1 DETEC shall issue an ordinance on the implementation of the provisions of this section. 2 It may allow, for scientific purposes, the import and use of forest reproductive material, the suitability and origin of which are not proven.
Section 3 Use of Environmentally Hazardous Substan
Art. 25
The exceptional use of environmentally hazardous substances in the forest is governed by the Ordinance on Chemical Risk Reduction of 18 May 2005.
Art. 25 — Amended by No II 21 of the O of 18 May 2005 on the Repeal and Amendment of Ordinances in connection with the Commencement of the Chemicals Act, in force since 1 Aug. 2005 (AS 2005 2695). SR 814.81
Art. 26 and 27
Repealed by No II 21 of the O of 18 May 2005 on the Repeal and Amendment of Ordinances in connection with the Commencement of the Chemicals Act, with effect from 1 Aug. 2005 (AS 2005 2695).
Section 4 Prevention and Remediation of Forest Dam
Art. 28 Principles
(Art. 26 ForA) 1 Forest damage is damage that poses a considerable threat to the function of the forest and that is caused by: a. natural events such as storms, forest fires or drought; b. harmful organisms such as certain viruses, bacteria, larvae, insects, fungi or plants. 2 Particularly harmful organisms shall be monitored and controlled in accordance with the provisions of the Plant Health Ordinance of 30 October 2018.
Art. 28 — Amended by No I of the O of 17 Aug. 2016, in force since 1 Jan. 2017 (AS 2016 3215). Para. 2 — SR 916.20 Para. 2 — Amended by Annex 8 No 7 of the Plant Health Ordinance of 31 Oct. 2018, in force since 1 Jan. 2020 (AS 2018 4209).
Art. 29 Prevention and remediation of forest damage
(Art. 27 para. 1 ForA) The cantons shall take measures to prevent and remediate forest damage, in particular: technical and silvicultural measures to prevent and combat fire; measures to reduce the physical load applied to the soil; measures to monitor and combat harmful organisms with the aim of eradicating or curbing them or restricting the damage they cause.
Art. 29 — Amended by No I of the O of 17 Aug. 2016, in force since 1 Jan. 2017 (AS 2016 3215).
Art. 30 Coordination, information and advice
(Art. 26 para. 3 and 27a para. 2 ForA) 1 The FOEN shall establish the principles for the prevention and remediation of forest damage. It shall coordinate the cross-cantonal measures and where necessary shall itself establish such measures. 2 The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) has the following tasks: a. it organises, together with the cantonal forestry services, the collection of data of relevance to forest protection; b. it provides information about the occurrence of harmful organisms and other factors that may damage the forest; c. it advises the cantonal forestry services in matters of forest protection.
Art. 30 — Amended by No I of the O of 17 Aug. 2016, in force since 1 Jan. 2017 (AS 2016 3215).
Section 5 Damage caused by Game
(Art. 27 para. 2 ForA)
Art. 31
1 Where game damage arises despite the regulation of game populations, a plan shall be developed for its prevention. 2 The plan shall include forestry measures, hunting measures, measures to improve and protect habitats against disturbance, and a performance review. 3 The plan is a component of the forestry planning.
Para. 2 — Amended by No I of the O of 17 Aug. 2016, in force since 1 Jan. 2017 (AS 2016 3215).