Landesbetrieb Hessen-Forst zwischen "Heilsweg" und "Teufwerk"

The State Forest Enterprise Between Salvation and the Devil

2001

Unselbständiges Werk

4354

200085957

The Hessian way of installing the Forest State Enterprise including most of the sections of Hesse State Forest Service in accordance with the state budget, § 26, enhances the opportunity of commercial behaviour, when percepting the delegated tasks. Novelty that has to be mentioned is, that not only managing the state forest is concerned with its public welfare obligations and commercial principles, but also the offering of various services for local communities and private forest owners as well as considering other state and common forest matters. The installment of the Forest State Enterprise was initiated by the Hesse Government in 1999 and 2000, when considering to reform the administration of agriculture, forestry and nature protection. However, in the end it was decided that state forest offices (85) keep their status. Their responsibility lies in managing the state forest as well as the community and private forests and they remain Lower Forest Authority. Nevertheless a few state concerning tasks had to be delegated to the Local County Authorities. In comparison to the two-level construction "supervising Forestry division, Ministry" versa, "mainly independent Forest State Enterprise" the "administration line" still remains on three level: Top Level: Forestry section within the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, Intermediate Level: Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Nature Protection within the Provincial Administration, Lower level: State Forest Offices. From the beginning of the discussion about establishing the State Forest Enterprise there was reservational actions against it, even by the employees of Hess State Forest Service. Since its final declaration by act of low on January 1st 2001 these reservations decrease however.