Concept for the conservation of forest genetic resources in the Federal Republic of Germany

The aim of the Concept for the Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources in the Federal Republic of Germany is to: estimate the extent of danger to the genetic resources of our tree and shrub species; propose preventive measures for the maintenance of genetic variability of these species; consider proposals for the organisational realization of this programme and give a cost-estimate. The programme will help to reduce genetic losses due to anthropogenic environmental loads (immissions), but a basic precondition for this is a reduction of environmental load. The mandate of the working party for the elaboration of this concept was derived from a resolution made at a meeting held on 10.1.1985 between representatives of the Federal Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Forestry and the Federal States. The political importance of the project is emphasized by the resolution of the Bundesrat (Upper House of Parliament) made on 13.2.1985 concerning measures for conserving genetic diversity of forest tree species and the second edition of the Federal Government's action programme Save the Forests. The latter states that the Federal Government identifies the conservation of natural genetic resources to be of major importance and that it will try to establish a forest genebank. The working party aims to compile all existing measures that either directly or indirectly aid the conservation of forest genetic resources, and to work out a framework, including cost-estimates, for conserving forest genetic resources. [...]