Forestry

A sustainable basis for the foundations

14 Fugger foundation staff members are active in forestry-related services. The foundation's forestry office in Laugna as well as other forestry offices are responsible for sustainable management of the foundation's forests.

On the archway of the foundation's forestry office in Laugna, there is a saying from 1848 that gives the foundation's forest wardens a constant reminder of sustainability:

»Heget den Wald, er ist des Wohlstands sichere Quell, schnell verheert ihn die Axt, langsam nur wächst er heran. All unser Handeln und Tun, die Enkel werden es richten. Sorgen mit Fleiß wir zur Zeit, dass sie uns rühmen dereinst«. (»Protect the forest, it is the sure source of our wealth, the axe will ravish it quickly, but it grows slowly. Our actions will all be judged by our grandchildren. Let us now lend our efforts that they might someday praise us«.)

This provides a very good description of sustainability as it is practiced in the Fugger foundation forests. There are ten guiding principles for the actual implementation of sustainability:

1. Basic security

The 1660 decision to convert the remaining foundation assets into land holdings has sustained the foundations for almost 500 years. Following the motto "continuity brings security", it has been possible to maintain the foundations despite monetary crises.

2. Growth

Since 1848, a forward-looking purchasing policy has brought about significant growth in the size of the foundation forests. At that time the foundations increased the area from 1,450 hectares to the current 3,200 hectares.

3. Expert personnel

Expert personnel have been employed at the foundation's forestry office since 1820. Over the course of generations, this has led to a highly developed forestry ethos and a strategic forestry philosophy.

4. Increasing reserves

With the help of expert personnel, the wood reserves and the exploitation capacity of the foundation forests has increased. Through forest conversion, mid-sized forests have become timber forests.

5. Increases today

Today, reserves and exploitation capacity are increasing through constant maintenance, but also through human influences such as increased levels of nutrient input and climate changes (CO2, growing periods).

6. Serving the future

Forest conversion measures have been underway for several decades. With the goals of stability and efficiency, the forest is changing from being only spruce trees to being a coniferous-dominated mixed forest.

7. Customer care and local ties

Service and personal engagement with customers and the local region ensure long-term success.

8. Forest management integrates the overall protection of nature

According to the motto »schützen durch Nützen" (»protecting by using«) the forests benefit everyone. In this way, people identify with and feel connected to the forest (serves preservation and recovery).

9. Development of further forestry-related business areas

The potential of the forests is being further exploited with new areas of operation, e.g. gravel mining, wind energy, Christmas markets, tours etc.

10. Working together in association 

Through active partnership with the WBV Region Augsburg e.V. (since 2006), we are strengthening both the commercialisation of wood and the interests of affiliated forest owners.

Address:
Fürstlich und Gräflich Fuggersche Stiftungs-Administration
Administrator Wolf-Dietrich Graf von Hundt
Fuggerei 56  ·  86152 Augsburg
Telephone: +49.821.319 881-0
Fax: +49.821.319 881-12  ·  Send a message