Within the framework of the EU-funded FAO project GCP/021/UKR/EC 29.09.2026 the Ukrainian National Forestry University organised a hybrid seminar on “First Experience Using the Compartment-Based Method in Preparing a Multifunctional Forest Management Plan in Ukraine: Design Features and Implementation Prospects”.
The seminar aimed at piloting the compartment-based forest management method in the Ukrainian Carpathians and identifying practical approaches for its integration into Ukraine’s forestry planning system. The primary forest management method tested within the project is the “stand-based method” (or “compartment-based method”). As to the organisers the current regulatory framework has not yet seen full-scale practical application of this method.
In technical terms the seminar aimed to (i) improve the approaches to delineating forest management units, defining their intended status, and conducting multifunctional planning and the design of forestry operations, (ii) review draft methodological guidelines for developing a multi-purpose forest management plan using the unit-based (compartment) method and (iii) identify directions for its further methodological, informational, and regulatory support and (iv) develop a roadmap for reforming Ukraine’s forest management planning system as well as proposals for relevant regulatory changes.
During the seminar Viktor Melnychenko – General Director of State Association Ukrderzhlisproekt presented a set of proposals aiming at improving the regulatory and methodological framework for forest management planning. Specifically, he presented a “Roadmap for Reforming the Forest Management System in Ukraine,” which aims to harmonize domestic policy with EU requirements, eliminate outdated practices, and transition to unified, modern standards.
Based on the work performed, a model plan for multifunctional forest management using the stand-based method was prepared, draft methodological guidelines for developing such plans were drafted, and proposals were formulated to further improve the forest management system and create a roadmap for its reform in Ukraine. These efforts draw on relevant European experience and contribute to the broader process of harmonizing Ukraine’s forest policy and approaches with those of the European Union.
The seminar collected and synthesized expert comments and proposals from participants, to be used for refining the methodological guidelines, the roadmap, and other final project materials, as well as to define the next steps for the practical implementation of the unit-based forest management planning method in Ukraine. The seminar will also provided an opportunity to showcase European experience in forest management planning through the presentation of two FAO reports covering Austria and Slovakia, as well as Poland. Their findings will offer a comparative perspective to support discussions on the future development of multi-purpose forest management planning in Ukraine and its gradual alignment with European approaches.
