Forestry in Spain

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Forestry in Spain has long faced deforestation, with wood used as a major energy source. In the 20th century, efforts helped expand forested areas again. Today, forests cover about 55% of the country.

Ownership varies: about 70% of forests are privately owned and 27% are public land. The public share changes by region; for example, Navarre has the largest public forest area, while Galicia has the smallest (based on 2012 data).

As of 2012, the most common tree species include several pines (Pinus pinaster, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus halepensis, Pinus nigra, Pinus radiata), eucalyptus, beech (Fagus sylvatica), and many oaks (Quercus ilex, Quercus pyrenaica, Quercus pubescens, Quercus robur, Quercus petraea).

Forestry policy is mainly set at the regional level by Spain’s autonomous communities, with some national rural development policy handling overarching matters. Much of the country’s forestry is in the Northwest, where the climate supports forests and wooden houses are common in the region.