Presentation of the Society “Progresul Silvic”

The “Progresul Silvic” society is a non-governamental and non-political organization mainly formed by Romanian forestry engineers. The society is actively open to integrate specialists from other fields of activity, be it from the country or from abroad.
The “Progresul Silvic” society continues the activities of a homonym society which was established in 1886. In 1948, the activities of the society “Progresul Silvic” were abusively prohibited and the association was dissolved.
Throughout its 125 years of existence, SPS had a rich history being on turns promoted than closed down so as to be finally re-established in 1989, after The Romanian Revolution against Communism. Presently, the society operates on the bases of the Governmental Ordinance no. 26/ 2000.

Members

Any superior graduate in forestry, wood exploitation, natural, social or technical sciences which would embrace a pro-active thinking related to forestry, environment and ecological processing of natural resources can eventually become member of our association.
The society’s members can be active or retired persons, working in the public or private sector; they can be affiliated to political parties but they cannot exert any political activity in our society framework. Members are required an annual contribution fee.

Targets and Activities of Our Association

The principles on which the society’s activities are based are as follow:

A. Support the Romanian forestry:

• Improve the general awareness of national forestry functioning and infra-structure; increase the visibility of any decision making related to forest preservation; promote and target significant growth of the country’ forested areas and their qualitative improvement.
• Stop forests’ decay, which represents for the last two decades, a severe and steady phenomenon.
• Militate for the implementation of a “sustainable forestry management”, which implies the forest’s productivity, its regeneration capacity, health or biodiversity. The required proficient management should target forest’s better performance at ecological, economical and sociological levels.
• Reforestate the country’s plain and eroded areas or the lands situated in hydrographic basins, which are currently exposed to floods; reforestate any area affected by landslides or abandoned agricultural lands.
• Create forestry curtains meant to protect the agricultural lands and the connecting roads against strong winds.
• Adjust the actual forestry politics in order to meet the needs of climatic changes; find support for effective projects and programs related to carbon’s seizure and filtration.
• Support political principles linked to renewable energy performance by promoting fast growing crops, the usage of small dimension wood or contribute to new technologies which would exploit the wood in electrical purpose.

B. Direct the forestry members towards the fulfilment of the society’s targets:

• Take action against any immixture of political corruption in the forestry management; grant the leading forestry functions to proficient specialists, on the exclusive base of their professional results and experience.
• Involve forestry specialists in legal activities related to this domain; encourage free speech and public disagreement towards any deficiency or mistake found in the already promoted normative acts.
• Promote the quality of forestry education, scientific research, forests’ general improvement as well as the implementation of a high standard forestry administration.
• Encourage national and international partnerships related to the monitoring of air’s quality, level of pollution, vegetation’ and forests’ health or protection of endangered species (plants and animals).
• Find partnerships that could access European funds in order to meet our association purposes.
• Increase selectively the number of association’s members, attracting mainly the forestry engineers working in private practice.
• Strengthen the financial power of association by collecting S.P.S.’ rents, searching for sponsoring or contributions, etc.
• Defend the professional and social interests of forestry engineers.

C. Promote the forestry eco-concepts and the general environment protection amongst the public

• Organise activities believed to increase forestry’ awareness amongst young people such as mass-media, radio, TV, fliers, specific actions, etc.
• Stimulate various publications, articles, books, etc. that promote technical and scientific progress of forestry.
• Motivate and support association’s members by granting awards, diplomas, moral recognition, etc.

These goals are formulated for the forestry central management in Bucharest as well as for any society branch throughout the country or for those that will be created in the coming future. We wish that forestry engineers from all over the country join our society for that our main goal is to unite professionals able to build actively the forests’ future.