Lesy ČR

The state enterprise Lesy České republiky (Forests of the Czech Republic) founded by the Ministry of Agriculture manages most of the State-owned forests, including the territory of the Jizera Mountains Beech Forests National Nature Reserve. Lesy ČR is responsible for forestry management whose main focus is nature conservation, following the management plan for the national nature reserve. In addition to management, the enterprise is also responsible for the condition of forest property, including forest roads, small watercourses and structures serving the public (rest areas, information boards, lookout points, etc.). 

            In the Jizera Mountains beech forests, Lesy ČR adopts forestry measures directed at improving forest ecosystems. Natural regeneration is encouraged as well as increasing species diversity by planting suitable tree species. Outside the core territory of the Jizera Mountains Beech Forests National Nature Reserve, Lesy ČR carries out salvage logging activities that significantly prevent the mass outbreaks of pests. You can encounter forest management personnel and technology in the Jizera Mountains beech forests all year round, but mostly in the autumn and winter months, when it is best to harvest deciduous trees. 

            It is worth noting that the Jizera Mountains beech forests and the Jizera Mountains in general have been historically influenced by long periods of human activity, with varying intensities of management given by changing social demands. The boom of the textile and glass industries brought intensive logging of the original forests for wood processing, and so you can still notice the remains of small structures in the mountains used for clearing timber from the forests and also the remains of a toboggan run. The Jizera Mountains underwent a significant transformation in the 1980s, when they suffered from extreme airborne pollution. At that time, mature stands were unable to produce healthy seeds for natural regeneration and this process was only restored with the desulphurisation of power stations, which improved air quality. In the meantime, foresters planted nursery trees under the mature stands. 

            The Jizera Mountains beech forests are a high-priority site for the Lesy ČR enterprise, with extensive beech stands of high ecological value. Sensitive management helps maintain and increase the biodiversity of the forest, which is the enterprise’s main goal in this locality.