Activity of a professional forest manager and preparation of forest management plans and outlines

An unqualified (free) trade (field No. 2) covering the professional management of forests and the preparation of forest management plans and outlines. The notification itself does not require any professional qualification, but the actual performance of the role of professional forest manager and the preparation of plans and outlines require a licence under the Forest Act (these are two separate licences, each granted by a different forestry state administration authority).

Conditions for operating

General conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act: full legal capacity and a clean criminal record.
For this unqualified trade, professional qualification does not have to be proven to the Trade Licensing Office (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act).
Note - a separate condition outside the Trade Licensing Act: the actual performance of the role of professional forest manager and the preparation of forest management plans and outlines require a licence under Forest Act No. 289/1995 Coll. (Part Six, Section 41 et seq.). These are two separate licences:
- the licence to perform the role of professional forest manager (Section 37) is granted by the municipal office of a municipality with extended powers,
- the licence to prepare forest management plans and outlines (Section 26) is granted by the regional authority.
Professional qualification for the forest manager licence (Section 37(2)): university education in forestry and at least 3 years of professional forestry practice, or complete secondary education in forestry (school-leaving examination) and at least 10 years of professional forestry practice.
Professional qualification for the licence to prepare plans and outlines (Section 26(1)): university education in forestry and at least 10 years of professional forestry practice.
The licence is granted for a period of 10 years (Section 44).
A forest owner who meets the professional qualification under Section 37(2) may perform the role of professional forest manager in their own forest even without a licence (Section 37(6)).
A responsible representative may be appointed under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act.

Examples of activities

Performing the role of professional forest manager for forest owners
Preparing forest management plans
Preparing forest management outlines
Expert advice to forest owners on forest management
Supervising compliance with the Forest Act and proper forest management
Proposing planting and felling measures and the regeneration of forest stands
Preparing source materials and field surveys for forestry planning
Expert assessment of the condition of forest stands

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Activity of a professional forest manager and preparation of forest management plans and outlines is field No. 2 within the single unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act, Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). It covers the professional management of forests for forest owners and the preparation of the basic planning documents of forestry.

The professional forest manager ensures that the forest owner manages the forest to a professional standard in accordance with the Forest Act. Forest management plans and forest management outlines are tools that lay down how specific forests are to be managed – the volume of felling, the regeneration of stands, tending and other measures. These documents serve forest owners, but also the forestry state administration authorities.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

This trade includes in particular:

performing the role of professional forest manager for forest owners,
preparing forest management plans and forest management outlines,
expert advice on forest management and proposing planting and felling measures,
field surveys and the preparation of source materials for forest management planning.

This trade does not include the actual felling, skidding and processing of timber or planting work carried out as a service – these fall under other fields of the unqualified trade (e.g. “Provision of services for agriculture, horticulture, fish farming, forestry and game management”). Likewise, handling reproductive material of forest tree species (seed, planting material) is a separate field of the unqualified trade.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

From the point of view of the Trade Licensing Act, this is an unqualified (free) trade. It therefore requires only that the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act be met:

full legal capacity,
a clean criminal record.

For an unqualified trade, professional qualification does not have to be proven to the Trade Licensing Office. For the notification itself you therefore do not prove any education or experience, and the trade licence arises on the day of notification.

Be aware, however, of a fundamental connection: the actual performance of the activity of a professional forest manager and the preparation of plans and outlines are governed by Forest Act No. 289/1995 Coll. (the rules on licences are in Part Six, Section 41 et seq.). Under Section 37, only a natural or legal person who holds a licence granted by a forestry state administration authority may be a professional forest manager. In practice there are two separate licences, each granted by a different authority:

the licence to perform the role of professional forest manager (Section 37) is granted by the municipal office of a municipality with extended powers competent according to the applicant's residence or registered office;
the licence to prepare forest management plans and outlines (Section 26) is granted by the regional authority.

Both licences are issued for a period of 10 years (Section 44).

The required professional qualification also differs. For the professional forest manager licence (Section 37(2)) you need university education in forestry and at least 3 years of professional forestry practice, or complete secondary education in forestry (school-leaving examination) and at least 10 years of professional forestry practice. For the licence to prepare plans and outlines (Section 26(1)) the requirement is stricter – university education in forestry and at least 10 years of professional forestry practice; a school-leaving examination alone is not enough here.

A forest owner who meets the professional qualification under Section 37(2) may perform the role of professional forest manager in their own forest even without a licence (Section 37(6)).

For the trade, a responsible representative may be appointed under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Complete the Unified Registration Form (JRF).
Submit the notification at any Trade Licensing Office (municipal Trade Licensing Office), online via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
Provide proof of identity and pay the administrative fee.
After notification, the office enters you in the Trade Register within 5 working days; the trade licence arises already on the day of notification.
Before commencing the activity, separately arrange the licence under the Forest Act in administrative proceedings – for the role of professional forest manager at the municipal office of a municipality with extended powers (Section 37), for the preparation of plans and outlines at the regional authority (Section 26).

You can find the detailed general procedure in the guide How to set up a trade.

Documents and fees

Proof of identity (identity card).
The Unified Registration Form (JRF).
Administrative fee for the trade notification: CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 for an electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz.
Adding a further field of the unqualified trade: free of charge (CZK 0).
For the forest manager licence (Section 37) or the licence to prepare plans and outlines (Section 26): an application for a licence under the Forest Act filed with the competent forestry state administration authority (documents on education and experience; the requirements and the administrative fee follow the Forest Act and the Act on administrative fees).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need forestry education to be able to notify this trade?

For the notification of the unqualified trade, no – professional qualification is not proven to the Trade Licensing Office. For the actual performance of the role of professional forest manager and for the preparation of plans and outlines, however, you need a licence under the Forest Act, for which forestry education and experience are a condition.

Who grants the professional forest manager licence?

The licence to perform the role of professional forest manager is granted by the municipal office of a municipality with extended powers (Section 37) competent according to your residence or registered office. The licence to prepare forest management plans and outlines is granted by the regional authority (Section 26). In both cases the decision is made in administrative proceedings under Forest Act No. 289/1995 Coll.

Is a school-leaving examination enough for me to prepare plans and outlines?

No. For the licence to prepare forest management plans and outlines (Section 26(1)) you need university education in forestry and at least 10 years of practice. A school-leaving examination (complete secondary forestry education) is enough only for the professional forest manager licence, and then with at least 10 years of practice.

How long does entry of the trade take?

The Trade Licensing Office makes the entry in the register within 5 working days of notification. However, the licence arises already on the day of notification.

Can I manage my own forest without a licence?

A forest owner who meets the professional qualification under Section 37(2) of the Forest Act may perform the role of professional forest manager in their own forest even without a licence (Section 37(6)). For performing it for other owners, a licence is required.

How much does it cost to add this field to an existing unqualified trade?

Adding a further field of activity to the unqualified trade is free of charge (CZK 0).