Resilient communities for resilient forests: Agent Green’s new project for Domogled, Făgăraș and Făget

Bucharest, 19 October 2026

Suspicious logging spotted in a forest can be just the beginning of a long journey: documents that are difficult to obtain, technical assessments, formal complaints, court cases and, sometimes, years of pressure on those who choose to speak out. Agent Green is launching the “Resilient Communities for Resilient Forests” project, which will provide communities in Domogled, Făgăraș and Făget with practical, technical and legal support to take action when forests and biodiversity are threatened.

The project will run for 24 months and has received a grant of CHF 200,000 through the Civic Engagement Programme, part of the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme.

The project’s premise is simple: a community that knows what is happening in its forest, where to find information and how to use the law is harder to ignore. Agent Green will combine field investigations, scientific, forestry and legal expertise, court action, civic education and public exposure so that concerns raised by communities can lead to concrete action to protect nature.

From reporting a problem to taking action

Over the course of the project, Agent Green will carry out at least 3 field investigations into situations affecting forests and biodiversity and provide the scientific, technical and legal analysis needed to pursue further action. In 3 cases, this work will lead to court proceedings challenging acts and decisions considered incompatible with environmental legislation.

The work will focus on Domogled, Făgăraș and Făget, where Agent Green already works with members of local communities who monitor forests and report problems identified on the ground. The project aims to reduce the imbalance between citizens who observe possible wrongdoing and the complex administrative and legal machinery through which it can be investigated and challenged.

The project also extends beyond interventions by Agent Green specialists. A central objective is to equip people in local communities with the tools to act independently. To this end, the “Forest Defender’s Guide” will be created: an online platform offering the public document templates, explanations and practical steps for requesting public information, monitoring decisions affecting forests and reporting possible breaches of environmental legislation.

The platform’s tools will be tested and adapted together with community members through legal and civic education workshops in each of the three target areas. The project thus aims to ensure that the expertise accumulated over years of investigations and litigation can be used directly by citizens, beyond the NGO itself.

The stories of people defending their forests

An important part of the project will be the production of a series of three video documentaries, one for each of the three areas. These will document both the problems facing forests and the experiences of those trying to protect them: citizens, local activists, specialists and community members who have reported destruction, gathered evidence and called on institutions to uphold the law, sometimes for years. Through these stories, Agent Green aims to make the connection between healthy forests, biodiversity, strong communities and civic participation more visible.

“Forests cannot be defended solely from Bucharest or through the work of an NGO alone. Most often, the first information about what is happening in a forest comes from the people who live there. They are the first to see the logging, the changes and the abuses, but they are often left alone facing a complicated system. Through this project, we want to provide them with expertise, legal tools and the support they need for their voices to bring about real change,” says Raluca Nicolae, Agent Green co-founder and project manager.

The project’s launch will be marked by an online event streamed LIVE on Agent Green’s Facebook page on 20 October 2026, where members of the project team will discuss the planned activities and ways the public can get involved.

About the funding

The project is funded through the Civic Engagement Programme, part of the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme, with the support of the Swiss Contribution. More information about the Programme: www.elvetiaromania.ro.

Press contact

Raluca Nicolae — project manager, raluca.nicolae@agentgreen.org, 0721 511 125

Project funded through the Civic Engagement Programme, supported by the Swiss Contribution with the aim of reducing economic and social disparities in the EU. The content of this material does not necessarily reflect the official position of Switzerland.