Resilient Communities for Resilient Forests

Why now

Romania is home to some of Europe’s most valuable natural forests, including the last primary and old-growth forests in the temperate zone of the European Union. Illegal or seemingly legalised logging, systemic corruption and the failure of institutions to fulfil their protective role continue, however, to affect these ecosystems.

Members of local communities who document and report abuses often face limited resources, difficult access to technical and legal expertise and, in some cases, pressure and intimidation. These are small communities, sometimes reduced to one or two people who keep the fight going.

From reporting a problem to concrete action

Throughout the project, Agent Green will carry out at least 3 field investigations into situations affecting forests and biodiversity and will provide the scientific, technical and legal analysis needed to pursue the cases. In 3 cases, the action will go to court, by challenging forest management plans and acts and decisions considered non-compliant with environmental legislation.

The interventions focus on Domogled, Făgăraș and Făget, where Agent Green already works with several members of the local communities who monitor the state of the forests and report problems identified on the ground. Their courage needs to inspire more members of the community to act. The project’s legitimacy and its potential to drive change lie in a united community that is active both online and offline. A divided and passive community is the opposite of resilience. It also places those who are already active and exposed at greater risk. The project aims to reduce the imbalance between the citizen who observes possible abuse and the complex administrative and legal mechanism through which it can be verified and challenged.

In addition to court action, the project includes advocacy activities: official positions submitted to authorities, consultations with national and European institutions and a complaint to the European Commission, so that the systemic problems identified on the ground can also be addressed at public policy level.

Tools for communities

The project goes beyond the work of Agent Green’s specialists. A central objective is for people in local communities to acquire the tools they need to take action themselves.

To this end, the “Forest Defender’s Guide” (“Ghidul Apărătorului Pădurii”) will be created: an online platform providing the public with document templates, explanations and practical steps for requesting public information, monitoring decisions concerning forests and reporting possible breaches of environmental legislation.

The tools on the platform will be tested and adapted together with people from the communities through 3 legal and civic education workshops, one in each of the three target areas (the Civic Education Caravan). In this way, the expertise built up over years of investigations and litigation will not remain exclusively within an NGO, but can be used directly by citizens.

The stories of people defending their forests

An important component of the project is the production of a series of three video documentaries, one for each of the three areas, aimed at documenting both the problems the forests face and the experiences of the people trying to protect them: citizens, local activists, specialists and community members who, sometimes for years, have reported destruction, gathered evidence and called on institutions to respect the law.

Through these stories, Agent Green aims to make the connection between healthy forests, biodiversity, strong communities and civic participation more visible. Filming will also capture areas that are still intact, for awareness-raising, education and protection through transparency.

“Forests cannot be defended from Bucharest alone, nor solely through the efforts of an NGO. 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 to face a complicated system. Through this project we want to provide them with expertise, legal tools and the support they need so that their voice can bring real change.”

Expected results

• 3 court proceedings for the suspension or annulment of forest management plans and related acts
• At least 3 field investigations, with complaints submitted to the authorities
• 1 functional online platform (“Forest Defender’s Guide”), with 5 legal templates and an interactive guide for document analysis
• 3 workshops with at least 45 participants and 3 strengthened local networks
• 3 video documentaries of approximately 20 minutes each, with at least 50,000 cumulative views
• 3 official positions submitted to the authorities and 1 complaint to the European Commission
• 20 volunteers mobilised
• 100,000 people reached through the project’s communication activities

News

• Project launch, LIVE on the Agent Green Facebook page.