News

• The Bill modernizes the regulations in force since 1992 and integrates measures for digitalization, bioeconomy and administrative simplification
• The text strengthens the protection of Andalusian forest heritage and updates key figures such as the Register of Public Forests

The Andalusian Regional Government has approved the Draft Law on Forests of Andalusia (LEMA) , a decisive step towards renewing the legal framework governing the region's forest areas. More than three decades after the approval of the 1992 Forestry Law , the new legislation aligns with the current challenges facing the region, incorporating scientific advances, new technologies, and a more comprehensive vision of rural areas. The text will be processed in the Andalusian Parliament in the coming months.

The update responds to the need to address outstanding regulatory gaps and move towards a sustainable management model, consistent with the 2003 state legislation and the recent " Adaptation of the Andalusian Forestry Plan to the 2030 Horizon ", which underlines the urgency of reviewing the Andalusian forestry policy.

Main lines of action

The project is structured into 7 sections and 144 articles , organized to address topics ranging from the legal classification of forests to conservation, sustainable management, and liability regimes. The text introduces advances aimed at strengthening forest planning and protection.

• Modernization of cooperation between administrations through agreements that guarantee co-responsibility in the management of public forests.

• Creation of the Andalusian Council for Forestry Policy and Biodiversity , which replaces and expands the functions of the previous advisory body.

• Updated regulation of public and private forests , with figures such as the "protected forest" - a legal category of private forest that receives special recognition for its ecological, hydrological, landscape or social value - to encourage its conservation.

• Incorporation of a specific title on forestry information and statistics to improve data-driven planning.

• Recovery of the Improvement Fund , an essential tool for listed public forests that will be regulated by the law itself and will facilitate the execution of improvement and restoration actions.

• Creation of the Sample Network , made up of exemplary public and private forests in sustainable management, and the promotion of a Forest Dissemination Program to bring this knowledge closer to society.

Keys to simplification and modernization

The law also promotes a more agile and results-oriented administration. In this vein, it introduces a series of measures designed to facilitate forestry activity and strengthen sustainable land management:

• Replacing numerous authorization procedures with responsible declarations , reducing paperwork and speeding up interventions.

• Promoting digitalization , innovation and the use of technologies - including AI-based systems - to support forest management, conservation and restoration.

• Strengthening the role of extensive livestock farming in fire prevention and the maintenance of forest ecosystems.

• Promotion of forest certification and new planning models capable of integrating environmental, social and economic objectives.

• The regulations for classifying public forests have been updated by transforming the old Catalogue into the Register of Public Forests of Andalusia , with clearer criteria that distinguish between state-owned and patrimonial forests. This reorganization is accompanied by a unified system of uses, exploitation, boundary demarcation, and recovery of possession.

Bioeconomy and climate

The future LEMA strengthens the link between forest management and rural development. To this end, it includes mechanisms that allow market-valued forest products generated through improvement projects to contribute to financing the projects themselves, thus promoting the local bioeconomy .

Furthermore, it incorporates for the first time a legal basis for environmental services , laying the foundations for compensation systems linked to benefits such as carbon capture, water regulation or soil protection.

Public-private collaboration will also be promoted through the creation of collaborative forestry entities , aimed at facilitating the execution of forestry actions and improving administrative response times.

Next steps

After a lengthy administrative process—from the start of consultations in 2023 to the project's approval in November 2025—the new Forestry Law is now entering its parliamentary phase. Its content represents a decisive step toward consolidating the protection of Andalusia's forest heritage , supporting public and private landowners, and promoting a management model that combines conservation, rural development, and environmental resilience.

Ultimately, LEMA aims to provide a modern and coherent legal framework that allows us to address challenges such as climate change, rural depopulation, and the transition to a robust and competitive forest bioeconomy.