Responsible and sustainable management

The Service Forêts (Natural Heritage Department), in cooperation with the Nature Conservation Agency (Administration de la Nature et des Forêts), manages and maintains the 1,055 hectares of forests owned by the City of Luxembourg in accordance with an annual management plan and a ten-year development plan. The municipal forests have been FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certified since 5 July 2007, attesting to the fact that they are managed responsibly.

What does the City of Luxembourg do with its timber?

Nowadays, the City of Luxembourg’s timber resources are mainly used in the energy, paper manufacturing and construction sectors. Some of the timber is used directly by the City of Luxembourg’s departments to make street furniture.

For tips on wood burning, please refer to our page about fire wood.

A green belt with something for everyone

Walking and hiking, leisure activities, relaxation – more and more Luxembourg City residents are taking advantage of the pleasures offered by the forest areas surrounding the city. The City has created a large number of footpaths, play areas, discovery and fitness trails, as well as bridle and cycle paths. Please see our brochures "Promenades du Bambësch" and "Promenades Hamm et environs/Kockelscheuer".

Natura 2000 zone forest land

A Natura 2000 zone is agricultural and/or forest land that has been classed as a protected area because it is home to native, rare or endangered habitats and plant or animal species. On public land that is located in these areas, the government takes measures to ensure the protection of the biodiversity found there.

Owners of private property in these areas may also choose to do their part.They can do this by planting deciduous trees, letting certain trees grow older, restoring alluvial forests, etc.

The State awards special grants to encourage private forest landowners to undertake such measures for the protection of our ecosystems, as well as a "Klimabonusbësch" subsidy.

Natura 2000 is a network of protected habitats located all across the European Union. It is made up of nature protection areas with extraordinary biodiversity. The City of Luxembourg is represented on the "Mamer-Äischdall-Gréngewald" Natura 2000 Steering Committee (Comité de pilotage Natura 2000 – COPIL), which ensures the sustainable management of the five Natura 2000 zones, including the vast wooded areas of the Bambësch and Gréngewald forests. COPIL provides a regional platform to facilitate cooperation between regional, municipal and local actors to guarantee the conservation of natural heritage in accordance with the EU "Habitats" directive of 1992, while also taking into account ecological, economic, social and cultural needs.

For more information on COPIL and its projects, go to « COPIL MAG (only available in French).

For more information