The Economic Principle: Activities that are in Harmony with the Environment That Do Not Damage the Forests

Forests constitute an infrastructure for a range of economic activities, among others: recreation and eco-tourism. The KKL-JNF views favorably entrepreneurial development in the area of tourism that promotes recreation in the heart of nature, including campgrounds in its forests. At the same time, it is important that enterprises in forest areas are harmonious with the environment and meet all legal standards. The KKLJNF will therefore ensure that entrepreneurial enterprises on its lands shall lie at the perimeters or main entrances to forests. This policy is anchored in National Outline Plan No. 12 (Tourism), which has not yet been completed.

Grazing constitutes a forest management tool on the one hand, and a profit-generating enterprise on the other. Grazing prevents forest fires, and at the same time produces a modest income from grazing fees.

Land conservation activities and planting produce other benefits as they prevent, or at the very least minimize, potential erosion and flood damage.

Even if Israel ’s timber industry does not constitute a major for the KKL-JNF’s afforestation program, maximum profits from marketing wood should be generated by way of sustainable forest management that supervises lumbering and pruning.

Quantification of the full economic value of areas designated as forest under National Master Plan No.  22 that are threatened with development is important in order to demonstrate the importance of conserving these areas. The KKL shall support research that calculates the positive “external benefits” to Israeli society that arise from afforestation activities. The KKL-JNF will act to improve the indicators that measure the value of visits to its forests and other sites, along with economic gains from cattle pasturing, bee keeping, and all of the other aspects of human enterprises in its forests.

The Societal Principle in Planning and Managing Forests: Transparency, Consultation, and Guaranteeing Access

For the purpose of adapting forests for public uses, the KKL-JNF will continue to analyze the Israeli public’s positions and attitudes towards its forests and the ecological and recreational services offered therein. The planning and development of the forests will be undertaken after taking into consideration public attitudes. In addition, the overall objective of expanded utilization by the entire population, as well as increased public satisfaction and improving the forest visit experience will be considered.

Forest planning will include an environmental education component. The KKL-JNF will attempt to raise the level of environmental awareness among visitors, including school children, youth movement members, soldiers, and other young visitors, and to introduce them to the physical, biological, social, cultural, and environmental values of the forest.

The KKL-JNF seeks to increase active public involvement in the approval process for the detailed plans for its forests. Throughout the planning of new forests and other significant initiatives within existing forests, the KKL-JNF will initiate contacts with relevant stakeholders in order to hear and consider their o pini ons and preferences regarding the initiative. Before presenting the plan at hand formally, the KKL-JNF will hold a hearing in which the public can learn about and respond to the details of the plan.

An ecological-environmental survey will be conducted of each forest, in which natural features and scenery that must be preserved in the context of afforestation activities will be listed. The surveys will be conducted on the basis of professional and ecological directives, and they will detail the effects that afforestation activities and anticipated development will have on ecological services, water and other environmental resources, as well as the means required for minimizing their negative effects. In planning the development of the forests, as well as for the tree planting, a number of alternatives to the proposed plan will be presented in order to enable decision-makers to evaluate and assist the public in understanding the various returns associated with the different proposals on the table.

Detailed and quantifiable objectives will be determined for afforestation activity. These detailed objectives will serve as indicators for defining ecological services that the forest will offer, and will be included in every afforestation plan and physical development plan in the forest. Included in the indicators will be the effect of activities and investments on the environment, and in it patterns of vegetation and habitats formed and / or the social services offered in the forest that will be preserved. The KKL-JNF Afforestation Division will monitor and evaluate the implementation of the objectives based on the indicators, and will distribute this information to the public via the Internet and / or other channels.

Israel ’s forests under KKL-JNF management shall be open without cost to anyone who seeks to use and visit them.   Good public access will be maintained in the forests, including accessibility for handicapped visitors. In doing so, the KKL-JNF upholds the principle of social equality in the utilization of its forests for all sectors of Israel ’s population.  

Next Page