Impact of Excluding Forest Area from Use on Economic Activity—A Case Study of Forest Service Companies in Poland

As part of the development of sustainable forest management, it is important to identify the risk of reduced availability of commercial forests, assess the adaptation of companies to new conditions, and analyze measures that allow them to adapt to the changing market situation. The aim of this research was to confirm or refute the hypothesis that forest service plants in Poland are at an increased risk of operating under the planned exclusion of 20% of State Forests’ area from commercial use. A direct survey method was used for the study. The results of the study indicated that most companies (65%) plan to reduce employment due to restrictions on forest area, which is a result of difficulties in the labor market in the forestry sector. A significant proportion of respondents (82%) perceive the exclusion of part of the forests from commercial use as a threat to their business, with as many as 41% assessing this threat as very high. A total of 31% of companies assess their ability to adapt to change as poor or very poor, which raises concerns about the future of their business. A significant proportion of respondents (77%) indicated that the uncertainty surrounding the rules for excluding forest land could negatively affect their investment decisions. The study results showed that changes in business risk, responsiveness to change, and adaptability associated with the planned forest exclusion policy were independent of company size, the form of inter-company cooperation, or employment levels. A wide range of issues that must be addressed to maintain sustainable forest management were identified, including concerns related to the perceived or anticipated reduction in employment under a planned exclusion scenario.