Simple Management Plan (SMP)

What is a SMP?

The Simple Management Plan (SMP) (French: Plan Simple de Gestion – PSG), helps the forest owner in analysing the economical, ecological, and social functions of his forest.
It is an inventory of the estate, with a schedule of the works and the necessary felling for each plot.
The Simple Management Plan is a real tool for the landowner to keep track of his forest.

The certified SMP guarantees the sustainable management provided by the forestry Code, to eventually benefit from tax exemption and State grants.

This guarantee of sustainable management is also considered for the following certifications, necessary to sell wood: PEFC (Pan European Forest Certification which became the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) and the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

Why ask for a SMP?

The Simple Management Plan is COMPULSORY in the following situations:

• Owning a plot, or a group of contiguous plots, with a surface equal to or above 25 hectares (Sketch 1).
• The sum of the plots of more than 4 hectares is superior to 25 hectares, only taking into account the neighbouring towns of the biggest plot (Sketches 2,3 and 4).

The isolated plots of less than 4 hectares are not counted for the total surface. However, to be allowed to cut woods without administrative formalities and to benefit from tax advantages, it is compulsory to have a SMP.

The forestry Code gives the rights and obligations related to a SMP:

• Carrying out the timber felling programmed in the SMP.
• Carrying out the works mentioned as compulsory in the SMP.
• Carrying you the reforestation works after the felling (within five years).
• Having the possibility to bring forward or postpone for 4 years at the most, any felling scheduled in the SMP.
• Having the possibility to carry out non-scheduled in the SMP, or special felling with the authorisation of the RCFE – Regional Centre for Forest Estate (French: CRPF – Centre Regional de la Propriété Forestière).
• Having the possibility to carry out timber felling for country or home consumption.
• In case of fortuitous events, accidents, diseases, or damages asking for emergency responses, the owner can carry out necessary felling after having informed the RCFE and having respected the delay during which the RCFE can counter the decision (except in case of a large-scale disaster recorded by a decree of the Minister in charge of the forests, there is no such formality).

Any forest estate subject to the obligation of a Simple Management Plan and which does not have one, is automatically placed under administrative authorisation.

No timber felling can be carried out without the preceding authorisation of the administrative authority, delivered after consulting the Regional Centre for Forest Estate. This authorisation could be combined to the obligation for the owner to carry out some works related or complementary to the felling.

The administrative authorisation does not apply to the timber felling done for the country or home consumption of the owner, except lumber.
In case of fortuitous events, accidents, diseases, or damages asking for an emergency response, the owner can carry out necessary felling with the RCFE agreement.

Outside any legal obligation, the private forest owners, whose estate is composed of one plot or of a group of plots (contiguous or not), with a surface between 10 and 25 hectares, have the possibility to voluntarily ask for a SMP agreement.
Several forest owners can also join forces to ask for a joint SMP agreement.

How to ask for a SMP?

The Simple Management Plan can be established by the owner, alone or helped by a professional.

This document is presented by the owner, or his representative, to the RCFE of the region where the forest estate is located. The RCFE is responsible for the SMP agreement. Then, the Departmental Territory and Sea Directorate (French: Direction départementale des Territoires et de la Mer – DDTM) ensures the implementation of the timber felling and the works mentioned in the SMP.
This document remains valid from 10 to 20 years.

The document contains the following information:

• Administrative information (legal entity, localisation, cadastral parcel…).
• Production factors, economic and environmental issues.
• The estate localisation on a map.
• Detailed map of the forest, showing the different forest plots.
• Precise description of the tree varieties.
• The management objectives (economic, environmental, and social issues) and sylvicultural interventions.
• Analysis of the forest/game balance on the estate.
• Forward schedule for the timber felling and other works.
• Estimation of the forest condition once the SMP is over.
• When it is a renewal, the SMP must briefly mention the previous plan, giving an analysis of the implementation of the timber felling programme.

L'arrêté du 19 juillet 2012 déterminant les éléments obligatoires du contenu du plan simple de gestion des forêts privées et les documents annexes à joindre est paru au JORF n°0173 du 27 juillet 2012, page 12297. Il est en ligne sur le site de Légifrance.

The owner, explaining his request, can submit a new Simple Management Plan to the Centre for agreement. He can also submit an amendment to the agreed Simple Management Plan. Until the agreement of the new Plan or the amendment, the owner must implement the current Management Plan.
Before the expiry of a Plan, the owner must submit a new Simple Management Plan for his forest to the RCFE, enough time in advance so the agreement can be done at the latest on the 31st of December the year following the end of the previous Plan. In the meantime, if the owner wants to carry out some felling, he must obtain a preceding authorisation for special felling.

The document often looks like a catalogue and can be read easily. However, today the SMP can be created through a digital database (Geographical Information System/ GIS), thanks to IT evolution, which allows constant updates and thorough management of the forest potential.

Why PLANFOR?

• PLANFOR is supported by a structured team who establishes and submits the SMP: Professional Forest Managers, technicians, mapmaker-geographers, an administrative manager, forestry experts, accountants.
• PLANFOR relies on factual information about the plots to propose a work schedule to the forest owners (dendrometry and soil analysis).
• PLANFOR carries out ‘air’ visits with a drone for a detailed and precise diagnosis of the parcels.
• PLANFOR proposes a programme for the works, but the OWNER is the sole decision-maker.
• PLANFOR creates SMP for its customers through a lasting, upgradeable, and shared GIS (Geographical Information System),
• The PLANFOR GIS is a real management tool. All the information related to the Simple Management Plan can be organised in dynamic tables. An estimated budget can also be obtained, for the whole duration of the SMP. And the data are permanently updated.
• A NEW ‘WEBMAPPING’ TOOL is now developed by PLANFOR. The owner can track online all the data related to his forest estate, with unlimited, subscription-free access.
• The Forest department of PLANFOR is always developing and offering new tools to the forester, so the administrative and technical management of his forest is optimised.

Sources :

• Forêt.info
• Ministère de l'agriculture.
• Centre national de la propriété forestière (CNPF)