Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) forests are relicts of the Tertiary period. Today they are present mostly in the northern part of Albania and they have been traditionally used in a sustainable way as sources of food and timber. Broadleaf chestnut forests, when mature, host a high biodiversity and at the same time can function as examples of sustainable forestry practice based on non-timber products.

Starting from early 2000, forested areas near the villages were transferred under the jurisdiction of the communes and classified as communal forests. When transferred, communal forests, in most of the cases, were areas of degraded coppice forest of very little economic value other than some marginal pasture. Due to the time needed for the natural regeneration, these forests will yield little income in terms of timber products for a period extending from 10 ? 20 years. Lack of economic interest by the communes is translated in lack of management for these forests in a process that ends up in vicious circle of unsustainable forest practice. For this reason it is crucial that in the mean time any effort is made for creating examples of income generated from non-timber products.

This project will carry regenerative intervention in 40 Ha of native chestnut communal forest in the Blerim commune in the Puka district.