Gas and electricity prices have been skyrocketing for several months.
For four out of ten French people who heat with wood, the bill is also on the rise, reports BFMTV.
Faced with the increasingly high price of the stere, it may seem tempting to go and help yourself in the forest.
But beware, certain rules must be respected...
Affouage, a practice that is being lost
According to the National Forestry Office (ONF), this practice has officially existed since the Middle Ages and is called affouage.
The timber commission, the municipality and the forest operator decide by mutual agreement on the lots where this practice is authorized.
In return for a tax, declared individuals can go to the forest and cut trees identified by means of a mark.
It is forbidden to resell this wood, which must only be intended for heating.
In order to preserve biodiversity, it is forbidden to pick up dead wood on the ground or to cut down trees less than 20 centimeters in diameter.
The offender is liable to a fine of up to 1,500 euros.
In addition, the state forests, belonging to the State, are excluded from the lots.
"In 2020, one million cubic meters were made available to communities for affouage", indicates the ONF.
But this practice has been in constant decline for ten years.
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