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Potsdam (dpa / bb) - Brandenburg's Forest Minister Axel Vogel (Greens) wants to tackle forest conversion and climate change with a forest reform - according to the plans, the number of employees is to be reduced and areas to be merged.

"I'm surprised to see fewer areas in response to climate change," said Uwe Engelmann, state chairman of the Association of German Foresters, on Sunday.

Huge forest offices are not expedient.

"The tasks are getting more complicated and more, but why are fewer people dedicated to them?"

According to the report commissioned by the ministry, around half of the current 1,420 employees will be leaving by 2030.

The paper suggests a new number of 1280 employees.

340 forest workers are to remain in the state service.

They are to be used in forest conversion, forest maintenance and timber harvesting, and support forest protection and forest education.

Opportunities for advancement should be improved.

The current 14 state forest chief foresters are to be retained, the current 160 districts are to be combined into 139.

Gregor Beyer, state chairman of the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald Brandenburg, wants to hold back with his opinion on the reform until he has seen the report - the paper is to be presented in February - but he is critical of the reduction in staff.

"More tasks, fewer staff, we can only succeed in resolving this contradiction through an intelligent structure."

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"You have to ask yourself, of course, whether the work can be carried out and whether one of the most densely forested federal states does not end up having the worst staffing levels," said BUND state chairman Carsten Preuss.

«We have significant forest damage.

We need a new forest policy.

The fundamental question is how we will manage to bring the forest through in the next few decades. "

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210124-99-148819 / 2