Lead Beneficiary: Mecsekerdő Zrt. (7623 Pécs, Rét u. 8. – www.mecsekerdo.hu)
The Company is the largest forest manager in Baranya County, with its 55 thousand hectares of operational area, which makes half of the total forested territories of the county. Eighty-nine per cent of its diverse forest associations are made of mixed deciduous forests of indigenous species. Along the Dráva Plain it is oak forests of very high value that can be found, on the deep fertile soils of the Mecsek Mountains it is forests of oaks and beeches that grow. In the managed areas of the Zselic micro-region, associations worth special attention are mixed forests of silver linden and beech, and oak forests.
The area managed by the Company is extremely rich in natural values, 75% of all their forests are under nature protection, also, two forest reserves can be found in the Company’s territory. Coming from this, the protection of the natural values is taken as a priority in all activities of the Forestry Company, and it also sees attitude shaping as important. For this purpose it operates two forest schools, one called “Squirrel Forest School and House of the Forest”, the other one is “Crocus Forest School of Forest Management”. Children and adults visiting these facilities can get to know, through exciting discoveries, the flora and fauna of the forest, the activity of the foresters, and sustainable forest management. Further activities of public use include the maintenance and operation of public use establishments (resting places and study paths in forests), operation of a nature information centre and of the narrow-gauge forest train.
Besides forest management, Mecsekerdő Inc. is one of the largest actors in game management in Baranya County, responsible for approximately 33,000 hectares of hunting areas. As regards large game living in the territories, dominant species are red and fallow deer, roe deer and wild boar. The objective of game management activity is provision of a balance of habitats that secures natural renewal of the forest, and the maintenance of the quality of the game stock. Besides open-area game management the Company also operates a surrounded garden of wild boars and one of several game species.
Another important activity of the Company is tourism, in the framework of which guest- and apartment houses, youth accommodations and tourist houses are available for forest hikers and guests seeking a forest environment. One facility that the Company is deservedly proud of is the 6 kilometre long narrow gauge forest train, unique in Hungary, the “Zselic Csühögő”. At the launching station in the Almamellék village an exhibition of forestry and small forest trains is also open for visitors. Furthermore, the Company operates the first theme park in Hungary built in a forest environment: Mecsextrém Park in Pécs-Árpádtető, a fun park that offers all-day recreation for visitors.
In the autumn of 2007 the Company opened in one of the smallest villages of the Eastern Mecsek Mountains, Kárász, a plant that processes by-products of the forestry activity, where the product range called “Naturalé” is made: 100% natural pressed fruit juices.
Forest Administration Branch Našice (FAB Našice) is one of the 16 Forest Admnistrations in the company Croatian Forests d.o.o. Zagreb. FAB Našice consists from 9 forest offices (Ćeralije, Donji Miholjac, Đurđenovac, Koška, Našice, Orahovica, Slatina, Čačinci and Voćin) and one work unit for mechanization, construction, quarrys and mechanical workshops (RJ Šumatrans Našice).
The most important activities in the FAB Našice are: biological renewal of forests, production of forest products, forest mechanization, construction, forest management, hunting, nurseries, quarries.
The forest area of FAB Našice is 73,886.26 hectares with a wood stock of 20,934,602 m3 or an average of 283 m3 / ha. Annual increase of wood mass is 549.176 m3 or 7.43 m3 / ha. The average annual cutting value is 501,787 m3 or 6.79 m3 / ha.
FAB Našice is located in two counties: Osijek - Baranja and Virovitica - Podravina County. The management area extends from the Drava River in the north to the mountainous parts of Papuk and Krndija in the south. Due to the wide variety of reliefs in this area, different plant communities have developed. Along the Drava River there are willow and poplar forests, in lowland areas are the English oak forests with hornbeam and the ash forests. The mountainous areas of Papuk and Krndia are covered with sessile oak forests with hornbeam and linden, and beech and fir forests in the highest areas.
FAB Našice currently employs 633 workers, of which there are 121 workers with high and higher education, 406 workers with lower secondary education and 106 skilled workers.
