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Timber Guilds Hail Historic Advance in Forest Management

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The Senate unanimously approved the creation of the National Forest Service (SERNAFOR), which will replace CONAF—a landmark achievement marking a significant step forward in the protection and sustainable management of our country's forest resources.

The news was applauded by timber guilds grouped under Futuro Madera, who led a hard-fought campaign to preserve the bill's Article 4(g), ensuring the new service has the authority to issue binding reports for the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP) on matters related to the declaration of degraded areas and the development of management plans for threatened ecosystems.

The guilds argued that this new service establishes a more balanced regulatory framework, where environmental decisions incorporate sustainable forestry and agricultural management criteria, fostering greater harmony between forest conservation and the sustainable development of communities.

"With the creation of SERNAFOR as approved, the goal is to prevent the imposition of unilateral regulations, ensuring conservation is implemented through forest management tools, promoting sustainable practices in the use of our natural resources, and avoiding solutions based solely on prohibitions," said Julio Torres, executive secretary of Cifag.

The network also emphasized that SERNAFOR's autonomy as a key player in forest resource management will be strengthened, improving efficiency in forest protection, wildfire prevention, and the promotion of a sustainable forest economy. However, they were adamant that the implementation of this new service must include adequate funding and cutting-edge technology.

"At Futuro Madera, we led a crucial effort by meeting with various lawmakers and other representatives from the timber sector to highlight the importance of preserving the functions and powers of the new Service, which emerged from a technical committee involving all stakeholders linked to the project," said Margarita Celis, general manager of Corma Biobío and Ñuble.

Futuro Madera comprises the Chilean Biomass Association (Achbiom), the Forestry Contractors Guild Association (Acoforag), the Small and Medium-Sized Timber Industry Guild Association (Pymemad), the Chilean Native Forest Owners Association (Aprobosque), the College of Forestry Engineers of Chile (Cifag), and the Chilean Wood Corporation (Corma).

New Service

With unanimous Senate approval, the creation of the National Forest Service (SERNAFOR) is now solidified—an autonomous agency replacing CONAF that will mark a turning point in the sustainable management of the country's forest resources.

The new service will be decentralized, with legal status and its own assets, and will operate under the oversight of the President of the Republic through the Ministry of Agriculture.

Among its main functions, SERNAFOR will oversee the protection, conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of forests and other vegetation, as well as promote new forest growth on lands with primarily forestry potential. It will also lead the implementation of the National Plan for Reducing Wildfire Risk and will have a technical Advisory Council.

Additionally, the bill establishes clear rules for the transfer of personnel from CONAF, including training processes and the maintenance of disciplinary responsibilities.

One of the most debated points during the legislative process was the jurisdictional conflict with the future Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP). The dispute was resolved in the joint committee, ensuring that SERNAFOR's reports on degraded areas will be binding, thus settling one of the main controversies between the two institutions.