'Juntos por los Bosques' (Together for the Forests) is a non-profit platform formed by more than 100 Spanish forestry entities have come together to develop a vision of what their forests mean, of the wealth that in many ways they can contribute to society and to define proposals for primary action to be sent to all political formations with parliamentary representation and to the Government, among others. Since its creation in 2016 'Juntos por los Bosques', with the impulse of COIM (Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros de Montes, Official Professional Association of Forestry Engineers) has met with political representatives of the Government and political parties.
'Juntos por los Bosques' aims to strengthen the social architecture of the sector to unite its voice towards the public authorities and society as a whole. The long-term nature of forest management makes it easier to identify common objectives, including raising the level of social debate and building broad consensus and complicity. For the first time it has been possible to bring together practically the whole of the country's forestry civil society, from private and municipal property, which accounts for 95% of the forest territory, to service companies, wood, paper, cork, resin, biomass and other forest products industries, certification, professional organizations, academia, cultural entities, research and forestry training centres, among others.
Some of the achievements are the broad consensus in the rapid constitution of the National Forestry Council or the Proposition Not of Law on a Forestry Fund financed by a tax on hydrocarbons and water consumption, approved in March 2017 in the Congress of Deputies without any vote against, are, although modest, important achievements obtained by our collective commitment. Work continues to achieve a green taxation that recognizes the peculiarities of the forestry sector such as the long term, high risks and environmental services and identifying it as a key tool for the revitalization of less favoured rural areas, and the recent inclusion of forest management in the Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition.
