CNPF - Centre national de la propriété forestière (National Center for Forest Owners)

Le Centre national de la propriété forestière is the public institution in charge of developing the sustainable management of private forests:

- 3.5 million forest owners,

- 11 million hectares of forests,

- about 20% of the national territory.

To offer better-coordinated and more efficient services to private foresters and their forests - which cover three quarters of all woodland areas in France - the professional bodies have developed a common identity under the name of "Forêt Privée Française" (private french forests).

The "Forêt privée française" brand and logo are used by these 3 national umbrella organisations :

• The Centre national de la propriété forestière or CNPF (National Centre for Forest Owners) and its R&D department, the Institut pour le développement forestier or IDF (Institute for Forest Development),

• Forestiers privés de France (the national federation of forest owners unions),

• and the Union de la coopération forestière française (French Union for Forestry Cooperation).

The local professional bodies that act in complementary areas to support the sylvicultural activities of private forest owners begin to 3 "families" :

• Forest development organisations : the Centres régionaux de la propriété forestière or CRPF (regional forest owners' centres) and associations for forest development ;

• Private foresters' unions ;

• Forestry cooperatives and other joint management bodies.