Partners

The Association includes among its partners: local authorities, associations, companies and single individuals.

Read more: Partners

The Process 2009-2012

The foundation process of the Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest took place between 2009 and 2012.

First Stepsy

The process officially started in 2009 when the Region of Tuscany joined the Mediterranean Model Forest Network. The area designated was within the boundaries of the old Mountain Community "Montagna Fiorentina" (today Union of Municipalities of Valdarno and Valdisieve), in the eastern part of the province of Florence.
After joining, started a period of survey, aiming to study the Model Forest approach together with public and private actors. Very significant has been the visit to the Urbion Model Forest in Spain that took place in March 2010.

Starting the Process

Taking the opportunity given by a call for financial contribution by G.A.L. START inside the European Rural Development Plan, inherent to process and product innovation, we have been able to develop a project around specific needs - both the production and professional qualification - strongly felt by local operators in the timber industry as well as by organizations of public administration, environmental protection and technological research. This has formalized a core group of partners interested in starting the process of Model Forest, through the project called A.PRO.FO.MO. (Initiating the process of Model Forest).

Preparatory meetings

In addition to the appointments offered by Mediterranean and International Networks at local level, the process has been officially launched with a special meeting in December 2010 followed, in January 2011, by public meetings open to anyone who was interested in contributing.
For each meeting were discussed:

• The Strategic Plan of the Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest;
• The organization, according to a program that would make clear goals and methods of development;
• The coordination, in a way that the interaction creates functional objectives of the expression and synthesis of the Model Forest
• recording of requests and suggestions coming from participants and stakeholders.

Depending on the composition of participants, several groups of interaction have been create, according to their objects, to discuss several aspects of a forest area. This division proved to be functional and was not changed during the all the process.
Proposals were collected and arguments were discussed during the meetings, and they were all registered completly according to five areas, named:

• Timber industry
• Qualification of labor in the forest
• Fauna and territory
• Multifunctionality of the forest land
• Valorisation of local products

Recognition from the Network

In October 2011, an Evaluative Visit from the Delegation of IMFN took place, then followed, in November 2011, by the recognition of Montagne Fiorentine Model Forests by the international network. The nomination took place during the MedForum held in Ramatuelle (France) on November 22nd -24th of 2011.

Birth of our Model Forest

On February 28, 2012 our Association was officially established!

Territory

The Territory

Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest is located in the region of Tuscany, centre of Italy. It encompasses 7 municipalities of the eastern province of Florence, stretching its boundaries till the province of Arezzo.

It covers 548 square kilometers (54.800 ha) and includes 64.000 inhabitants.

grey: region of Tuscany

green: Province of Florence

red: Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest

The 7 municipalities of our Model Forest are:

    1. San Godenzo
    2. Londa
    3. Pontassieve
    4. Rufina
    5. Pelago
    6. Rignano sull’Arno
    7. Reggello

Our Landscape

The Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest's landscape is characterized both by human and natural features. Human activities are represented by estensive agriculture, tourism and handcrafts especially in densely populated villages, creating a complex mosaic shaped by men during thousands of years of civilization. 

Geographycally, the model forest is on a hill and medium-mountain area, with 70% of its territory covered by forests of oaks, sweet chestnut, beech. Coniferous species like Austrian pine, silver fir and Douglas fir are found in plantation. It includes also several natural protected areas.

The economy it is strongly connected to agriculture, especially wine and olive oil, while forests are managed from centuries for wood and non-timber forest products such as mushrooms.

Thematic Committees

Thematic Committees are the executive body of our Model Forest. In fact, they support and advice the Board of Directors and they put in action the Strategic Plan.

Everyone is welcome, member or not, to be part of a Committee, so to have a group representing different perspectives and capabilities.

The four thematic committees are the following:

Environment and Society 

Coordinator Mirka Faganello

This committee aims to identify resources and that can be promoted through specific projects. Guiding values are knowledge implementation, sharing and sensibilization. Environment is our best common good and we have to take care of it, giving value and recreating a fair and positive connection between humans and nature.

Culture and Tourism 

Coordinator Giacomo Navarra

This committee aims to promote sustainable tourism across our model forest. Main values is to stimulate existing associations, producers and public administration to develop a network working on common goals.

Productive sectors 

Coordinator Lara Fornai

This committee works in two specific product chains, agriculture and wood. Agriculture-chain aims to promote good food, from local producers. Local food is a way to talk about history of the territory, health food, coming from environmental-friendly practices, highlights sustainability. Wood-chain aims to promote "good timber", which is the timber guaranteed by our trademark "FMMF il Legno". The trademark guarantees that timber is from local sources, it comes from sustainably managed and harvested forests, and it is legally harvested.

To know more about the trademark visit www.legnoforestamodello.it

International Relations 

Coordinator Toni Ventre

This committee aims to connect with Mediterranean and international networks. Fundamental value of the model forest approach in fact, is information and knowledge-sharing within model forests of the network as a way to connect different part of the world that face similar challenges, developing an integrated strategy to face them.

The Association

MISSION & VISION

The association wants to help to improve the integration and sustainability of the forest and the land's management, increasing the cohesion and awareness of the net of all the social-economic components that directly or indirectly belong to that territory.

The association is proposed as a new instrument of governance of forest, agricultural and rural land in general, and It will operate in the areas of the productive chains, commercial distribution, market, environment, tourism, culture, recreation. Important aspect is the value of sharing of know–how with partners and networks.

GOALS

Goals of the association are:

• To achieve balanced and sustainable development of environmental, economic and social sectors of the territory, through protection and enhancement of natural and human components of the ecosystem: soil, water, air, flora, fauna, forest and agricultural production, settlements, infrastructure and services.

• To enhance forestry sector, promoting integrated sustainable management, in order to create a productive chain for timber, non-timber forest products, as well as ecosystem services.

• To develop and consolidate cultural and social-economic status of the territory, as part of a qualifying governance towards sustainability.

• To develop and promote participation of different components of local community in forestry and rural development projects, including innovative forms of business and networking.

• To reformulate and optimize land system and infrastructure of the territory for production, use, safety, and settlement.

• To promote rural diversification opportunities arising from secondary productions, not only based on wood, and forms of recognition of forest ecosystem services.

• To develop a forest sector, increasing utilization of technology and mechanization, diversifying the products, increasing entrepreneurial business qualification skills and safety in the working places.

• To optimize and develop timber industry and, in particular, production and processing of timber for structural use, products of low and high technology concept. To promote qualification of the wood - energy chain in all its components, from firewood to wood chips.

• To develop and consolidate marketing for local agricultural and high quality products, promoting forms of association, consortium, cooperative aiming to overcome common limitations of convenience and logistics of distribution.

• To coordinate activities of tourist reception, excursions, sportive and cultural activities on the model forest area.

• To target high professional preparation for actors in the field of wood production chains.

• To design, promote and create innovative ways to achieve general and specific objectives of sustainable development of the territory and its social members.

• To increase communication, information , transmission of knowledge and skills, insertion into the network.

• To promote, transmit and share - both in territorial and far areas -  the Model Forest approach as a standard of governance and as a permanent network of examples of territorial management oriented towards sustainability.

How to Associate

The Montagne Fiorentine Model Forest is always open to new memberships.

If you want to join us and be member of our association, you have to fill the following requesting form. Your request then will be examinated by the Board of Directors and we will communicate you if you have been accepted!

Modulo Iscrizione AssFMMF.pdf112.26 KB

• Public Institutions
• Private entities with legal form 
• Private entities without legal form 
• Single people over 18 years old that recognize the goals defined by the FMMF's statute and that are in the reference area of the municipalities, belonging to the municipalities of Valdarno and Valdisieve whose government formally join the association.

Association Fees

• REGIONAL OR LOCAL AUTHORITIES with more than 5,000 inhabitants € 500
• REGIONAL OR LOCAL AUTHORITIES with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants € 300
• PUBLIC ENTITIES not TERRITORIAL € 300
• PRIVATE ENTITIES with a legal form( corporations, associations recognized ) € 200
• PRIVATE ENTITIES without  a legal  (partnerships , associations not recognized) € 100
• INDIVIDUALS € 60