Entre la société et la forêt: voyage sur une interface (essai)

Forest and society: journey along an interface During the train journey to his work, the author looks through the windows on either side of the compartment. On one side, he sees the world of men, increasingly urban and technical, on the other, the forest. He notes that at the interface of these two worlds, the forester's work is becoming more and more complex and sensitive. He makes proposals about the scale of management of the forest, and the level at which the forester should become involved. He believes that today's generation is responsible for putting in place the framework necessary for the conservation of biodiversity, and proposes the creation of a specialised working group of the Swiss Forestry Society and a national centre of competence for this challenge. He notes the challenges for forest management and silviculture arising in connection with climate change and scarcity of energy. Finally, he concludes that because of a favourable politico-institutional context, the community of those responsible for forest institutions is morally obliged to act in an effective and far-sighted way to safeguard what has been achieved, while adapting to the evolution of our world and anticipating changes. The author concludes that the draft modification to the forest law at present being discussed by the federal parliament is a positive development, and calls on the forest community to unite in its support.