News

Jan Köster Reveals the Future of Chile's Forests: Crisis and Opportunities in Native Woodlands

Sponsors

In a conversation with Acoforag, Jan Köster, a forestry engineer with extensive experience and vice president of Aprobosque, addressed key issues related to the management of native forests and the policies regulating their use.

During his talk, he reflected on the importance of proper forest resource management, the need to adapt to new regulations, and the tensions between environmental protection and economic development.

The Potential of Native Forests

Köster highlighted the vast expanse of native forests in Chile, which exceed 14 million hectares. "What’s truly relevant is that nearly 4 million of these hectares have the capacity to provide directly tangible goods and services for humans, representing a major opportunity for the country’s sustainable development. Although many of these areas are protected—either in hard-to-access zones or within national parks—they remain a valuable resource for the country," he emphasized. According to him, these hectares can supply wood or fiber, making them essential for the timber industry and human well-being, as they have been vital to human life since ancient times.

"Forests have provided us with resources like wood, which has been fundamental to human civilization. However, many of these areas remain underutilized," he noted. This fact underscores the contradiction between the potential of native forests and the lack of sustainable utilization across much of these lands.

In his view, Chile possesses one of the most advanced databases regarding the geographic characterization of its forests, enabling the identification of crucial aspects such as volume, species quality, and forest types. This information, available for many years, is invaluable for forest planning and management, allowing informed decisions about the use and conservation of these resources.

Challenges

Regarding the regulations governing native forest management, Köster referred to Law 20.283, which regulates native forests, as well as Decree Law 701, which has faced criticism but, in his opinion, has had a positive impact on forest protection. "The Native Forest Law has its limitations, but Law 701 has been very effective in practical terms. In my view, it was even better than the Native Forest Law," he emphasized.

Despite these laws, the forestry sector faces major challenges in effectively implementing regulations. "The biggest problem isn’t the law or the regulations but their enforcement. Often, those administering these laws, like Conaf, fall short in their implementation," the professional remarked.

Bureaucracy and "Permitology"

One of Köster’s strongest criticisms of Chile’s forestry system is excessive bureaucracy, which he calls "permitology." In his opinion, the current system of permits and regulations is so complex that many professionals in the sector are forced to abandon forestry work due to the difficulty of complying with the rules. This creates a disconnect from the territorial reality and the country’s needs, contributing to forest abandonment and eventual degradation.

"Working in forests is already complex. If you add regulators having to answer to two or three entities, the process becomes nearly impossible," Köster explained. The engineer noted that many colleagues have chosen to switch careers or even emigrate due to the complexity of administrative procedures and differing criteria among Conaf offices. "In the end, this wear and tear leads to forest abandonment, which is unsustainable. When this happens, lands are allocated to other uses, often unprofessional ones, leading to degradation," he added.

The Future of Forest Regulation

The debate over the possible creation of a new entity responsible for biodiversity, the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP), has raised concerns in the sector. According to Köster, while having an entity to regulate biodiversity is positive, creating two entities with overlapping technical authority over native forests could cause confusion and more bureaucratic hurdles, further hampering resource management efficiency.

"The worst scenario would be having to answer to two entities, generating even more paperwork and bureaucracy, making sustainable forestry development unviable," he stated. This situation could delay the implementation of management plans and increase costs for forest owners, who would face dual regulations.

The Path to Sustainability

In his remarks, Köster stressed that the key to the forestry sector’s success in Chile lies in effective collaboration between public and private actors, as well as simplifying bureaucratic processes. It is crucial for decision-makers, such as legislators and involved ministries, to understand the complexity of the territory and the sector’s needs to prevent over-regulation from harming both forests and the industry.

"Permitology doesn’t just hinder forestry development—it also affects people’s quality of life. If we continue down this path of increasing complexity, we’ll lose the opportunity to sustainably harness our resources," Köster concluded.

The future of Chile’s forestry sector depends on striking a balance between biodiversity conservation and economic development, where simplifying bureaucracy and improving law enforcement are key. Sustainable management of native forests is not only an economic opportunity but also an environmental responsibility that must be taken seriously by all stakeholders.

The full interview is available on Acoforag’s YouTube channel: