Citizen forests - a new management approach for state-owned forests

Motives: There is a growing emphasis on assessing the value of forest social functions. There are no objective measures of the intensity and attractiveness of recreational forest use. It would be beneficial to obtain an independent expert opinion on the social value of forest complexes, based on a reliable methodology. It is imperative to ascertain how to objectively determine a forest’s social function and factors influencing it. Aim: The main objective of the conducted research was to indicate the types and sequence of activities necessary to designate areas of natural value and social importance in forest districts. Results: The authors’ procedure for designating socially important forest areas (called citizen forest) was presented and discussed.