On 12.09.2022 experts of SFI project, Bernd Wippel, Vitaly Storoshuk and Volker Sasse met with the vice-head of forest administration of Ivano Frankivska Oblast, Roman Oliynyk, in order to discuss progress of NFI as well as possible support by the Oblast forest administration and by SFI project.

Bernd Wippel pointed to the current challenges during implementation of NFI, namely shortages in budgeting and limitations in accessing all forests of Ukraine. In this context he stressed the SFI proposal to support the needs of forest inventory by remote sensing data analysis. “This approach would lead to rough data for all Ukrainian forests in much shorter time with less resources.” said Wippel. Roman Oliynyk, confirmed the importance of NFI and informed about support provided by forest enterprises, particularly during on site establishing of data sample plots and transport of NFI staff. By his view “Decision making on forest policies require robust data and information base. NFI will provide such information, which is important also for institutional reforms as the current concentration of state forest management.” In light of deficits for NFI implementation, Oliynyk supported the SFI proposal on using remote sensing approaches for getting forest inventory data.