National book of forestry regulations: what you need to know

The national specification of forest exploitation requirements (CNPEF) is mandatory for all stakeholders in public forests for all new contracts entered into from 2020 – service providers or customers purchasing wood from the NFB, internal teams of the NFB and individuals – for forest exploitation work, in metropolitan France or overseas.

• A legal framework for a virtuous mobilization
• An imperative: to ensure the sustainable management of forests
• The responsibilities of the stakeholders
• Strict rules for the preservation of the environment

A legal framework for a virtuous mobilization

The contracts for the sale of wood or contracts for the provision of services bind the NFB seller and the buyer or the NFB buyer and the service provider, through their general clauses of sale (GTC) or purchase (CGA). The content of these four types of documents (contract, contract, GTC, GTC) thus defines the rights and obligations of each party.

The national forest exploitation specifications (CNPEF) replaces the national forest exploitation regulations (RNEF) for all new contracts entered into from 2020, in order to take into account the numerous changes in regulatory requirements and the commitments made by the NFB under PEFC and FSC certifications and its environmental policy. This document concerns both the exploitation, the removal of the woods, the work at the end of the cutting as well as the preservation of the environment.

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Consult the national book of forestry regulations (CNPEF) for contracts committed from 2020

The national specification of forest exploitation requirements (CNPEF) is mandatory for all stakeholders in public forests – service providers or customers buying wood from

Consult the national forest exploitation regulations (RNEF) for contracts entered into before 2020

The national forest exploitation regulation is mandatory for all stakeholders in public forests – service providers or customers purchasing wood from the NFB, internal teams of

An imperative: to ensure the sustainable management of forests

Mobilizing the woods while preserving the environment is a requirement that dates back to the origins of the Forest code. This is also a strong conclusion of the Grenelle of the Environment at the end of 2007, taken up in particular by the National Assises of the forest and the national forest wood plan in 2016-2026

The NFB’s wood mobilization policy is fully in line with this objective and is expressed in the RNEF applicable since July 1, 2008 and the CNPEF applicable from 2020.

Practices that respect the ecosystem and the forest heritage concern :

• the conditions for access to the cups
• respect for stands during felling
• the preservation of the soil by the exploitation machines.

What is the mobilization of the woods?

It is to market the woods, cut down the designated trees, cut them down and transport them from the forest to the processing companies.

Precise points of contact with the NFB

As part of the start-up of a construction site, a meeting prior to the start of the operating work is organized between the worker or his designated representative and the staff of the NFB. It allows the buyer or the service provider to be informed of all the elements useful for the conduct of the construction site and the NFB agent to specify the most important elements. In particular, it aims to :

• to clearly identify the boundaries of the construction site, the stand and the trees in place
• to recall the particular environmental requirements that must be respected
• to appreciate the specific constraints and risks of cutting
• to set the minimum terms of contact with the staff of the NFB (in particular with the representative of the intervener)

The worker is responsible for the safety of his operating sites both with regard to the NFB, third parties and his own employees. He communicates to the NFB staff the contact details of the people brought to intervene on his behalf.

In which cases does the speaker have to request authorization from the NFB?

The worker must request authorization from the NFB to install a shelter or temporary construction equipment (shed, caravan …). Note that the CNPEF stipulates that the maintenance of equipment must be limited to the strict minimum, in the forest, thus preventing the installation of a real workshop. An authorization will also be requested to obtain an additional period to use the drop-off place.

The responsibilities of the stakeholders

For the removal of the woods, certain charges fall on the responder. He must take care to remove all slaughtered products. Generally, the residues are deposited on the partitions to protect them from settling. The intervener must use the tracks, operating partitions and routes materialized on the ground or designated by the ONF forester. He must also take care to ensure the safety of public roads and paths.

The worker must also ensure that his operating site is conducted according to recognized professional practices and current standards, in particular with regard to :

• the felling and shaping of the stems
• the skidding
• the skidding
• the emptying of the products
• the classification and the cubing of the woods.

Strict rules for the preservation of the environment

Biodiversity: in order to ensure the conservation of environments and animal and plant species, part of the forest territory is the subject of either regulations (national parks, natural reserves and biological reserves, biotopes protected by prefectural decree), or management contracts (regional natural parks, Natura 2000 sites). With a view to complying with these regulations or contracts, special requirements may be imposed for carrying out forestry work.

Soils: in order to preserve the physical integrity of the soils, the forest worker must use materials adapted to local conditions and organize the site in such a way as to limit the impact of his activity on the soils. When the characteristics of the soils justify it, special requirements to the contract may be imposed. Otherwise, the choice of the operating system is at the initiative of the speaker.

Water and wetlands: the worker whose construction site is located within a drinking water catchment protection perimeter must comply with the prefectural decrees in force and the PEFC regional specifications defining the particular rules that apply to these spaces. These are mentioned in the special requirements of the contract. The worker takes the necessary measures to respect the condition and quality of the streams and wetlands. In particular, he takes care to prevent any leakage of lubricant and fuel.

Waste: they must be evacuated out of the forest by the worker. The worker is responsible for the disposal of his waste by the appropriate channels (art. L. 541-2 of the Environmental Code) and their recycling whenever possible.

Cultural heritage: the intervener must respect the remarkable elements of the cultural and architectural heritage, the historical monuments and the classified or registered sites, present on the right-of-way of the construction site and around the construction site. In case of accidental discovery of elements of the archaeological heritage, the intervener must make the declaration in the town hall in accordance with article L. 531.14 of the Heritage Code and notify the agent of the NFB.