Economic information system (EIS) as a tool for the solution of conflicts between forest owners and nature conservation authorities

Human society expects forest systems in the cultural landscape to perform three groups of functions: economic, ecological and social. Forests in the cultural landscape represent as a rule the most conserved natural communities of plants and animals. Countries set up legislative regulations through which they endeavour to preserve this natural wealth for future generations. The practical application of these regulations brings numerous conflicts between forest owners and nature conservation bodies. The disputes primarily concern the restriction of forest management resulting in the detriment incurred and/or production loss. The core of conflicts is the amount of damages and/or forest production losses, and legal actions concerning the amount of possible damage and los s which are frequent. Courts usually face difficulties in making the decision as their decision-making normally dwells on expert opinions, which may be contradictory. The Czech Statistical Office currently gathers basic data on forestry in order to assess macroeconomic characteristics of the sector. However, the file of basic forest data being not detailed enough; it cannot serve for the solution of the above-mentioned problems. Inspiration for developing a tool, which would help to resolve the conflicts in question, is the existing Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN)5) system established by EU legislation (by Council Regulation No 79/65)1) which is used to monitor economic development in agriculture. The monitoring serves for the regulation of common agricultural policy. In the past years, the Forest Management Institute Brandýs nad Labem (FMI) tested in practice as a pilot project the collection of forestry microeconomic data, which provided records useful in the solution of the problems concerned. The project proceeded in the form of a voluntary inquiry and interrogators who were FMI workers visited individual respondents. They filled together with them in a unified manner digital form in a software programme created especially for this purpose. The paper presents results from this pilot project and propositions for its practical use. The most appropriate form of its introduction in practical life is considered its legislative anchoring in the Act on the National Statistical Service.