FORESTS IN EUROPE, FORESTS IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 
Among European nations we can single out three groups of countries with a different percentage of public forests. We must keep in mind that the quality and availability of forests is not only caused by ownership, but also by forest area per capita and the population density. The largest amounts of private forest are in the hands of the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden and Finland), and also France and Austria (up to 80 % private forest land). In this group the share of public forests does not exceed about 30 %, although it is difficult to talk about any strict restrictions on public access to forests, in addition to specific local solutions. On the other side of the scale are Ukraine and Belarus, where the government is in charge of all the forests. In the rest of the countries the public forests are at a level of 70 - 80 % (Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland), or 50 – 60 % (Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia). Access to forests is usually limited in countries with less forest cover and with greater culinary traditions related to the fruits of the forest. Such restrictions are applied in countries like Italy, where the social pressure was so strong that picking mushrooms, chestnuts and other “gifts of the forest” has been linked to the ownership of the forest, treated as his own yard or agricultural crop.
Private forests - production function - or state subsidies (Michał Orzechowski)
The ownership of forests plays a role in shaping the security of forestry, helping pro ecological activities, promoting the conservation of the environment. A dominant owner (usually a state) can afford not to make profit out of forestry in order to keep the society happy. It is much harder to fund private owners, in order for them to agree to give up their personal gain for the development of non-production functions, recreational, or ones resulting from the needs of nature conservation. Large areas belonging to one property, managed by one unit, can be much easier protected from, for example, harmful effects of strong winds, by creating appropriate spatial structures between neighbouring tree stands. Creating a network of observation points can also prevent large fires from breaking out.
Another important aspect is the possibility of planning and realization of actions aiming to change the composition and structure of tree strands in greater forest areas. The reconstruction of the tree strands is an action going beyond the prospect of real money in one or two decades. The durability and importance of these reconstructed tree strands is not easy to convert into money.
Only the large owner (the state) can afford to resign from the production function on valuable natural forest areas (conservation tree strands, reserve) (Michał Orzechowski).
