Our commitment to development cooperation goes back to the 1950s, when Hessian foresters implemented the first international projects.
Today, our work is grounded in day-to-day forest practice: HessenForst is responsible for 342,000 hectares of state-owned forests and works with a wide range of communal and private forest owners.
Who we work with
We typically work with:
- international implementing agencies and donors
- forest administrations and public agencies
- research and training institutions
- NGOs and multi-stakeholder platforms
- forest companies and forest owner organisations (where relevant)
What we offer
Forest policy, governance and institutions
Support for policy implementation, administrative procedures, and institutional development—especially where forest use, land use rights, protection goals, and compliance need to be aligned.
Forest inventory, planning and forest information systems
Forest inventories, management planning, GIS-based mapping, monitoring approaches, and data workflows that make decisions transparent and operational.
Forest landscape restoration and silviculture
Practical approaches for resilient forests: conversion strategies, regeneration concepts, mixed-stand development, and adaptive management under increasing risks (drought, pests, storms).
Forest operations & value chains
Advice on operational planning, work processes and (where applicable) value chain topics for timber and non-timber products—always with an eye on feasibility and local benefit.
Capacity building & training
HessenForst is responsible for vocational training of forest workers and postgraduate education of public foresters in Hesse. This training experience strongly shapes our international work—especially Training-of-Trainers and practice-oriented curricula.
Nature conservation, protected areas & biodiversity
From management concepts for protected areas to biodiversity compensation and habitat restoration measures, depending on local frameworks.