The technical advisory service provided by Corticeira Amorim will be discontinued temporarily due to a very large number of applications and the achievement of the objectives set. A total of seven new applications applying online for free technical advisory service were accepted in 2015. This advisory service is being delivered through a partnership with ICNB (Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forest) and NGOs, specifically Quercus and the WWF.
The service was launched in 2008 with the aim of identifying and promoting the adoption of good practices in the management of cork oak forests and associated biodiversity. This technical advisory service has so far covered about 18 thousand hectares of cork oak forest area. This is the first year that the health status of cork oak forests is being monitorized.
The seven farmers and forest landowners who have successfully applied for this service in 2015 will be provided with a technical report on plant health diagnostics prepared by WWF’s expert professionals after visiting a number of selected cork oak forests. This report can be even used by cork oak forest owners to assist them in applying for sustainable forest management certification for their lands.
42 technical visits were made between 2008 and 2013. It should be pointed out that the vast majority of forest owners who benefited from technical advisory services opted for obtaining FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certification.
