The foremost aim of German forestry policy is to preserve or restore the extension and natural appearance of the forests, enlarge them where necessary, and permanently ensure their proper management.
Since the beginning of the 1980s, increasing damage to Germany’s forests has been detected. People have used the pithy - but inaccurate - term “dying forests” to describe this phenomenon. Within just a few years, damage has become extremely widespread and has afflicted virtually every species of tree. Visible symptoms of this new type of damage are sparse crowns and yellowed leaves and needles.

There are various biotic and abiotic causes of this new type of damage, mainly air pollution. Although intensified environmental protection measures to improve the quality of the air have achieved noticeable success, pollution levels in forests and forest soil are still too high. According to the Federal Government’s 1996 status report, Germany’s forests are in better condition than in the previous five years. On average, 20 percent of the trees nationwide exhibit distinct damage. Whereas the condition of spruce and especially pine has improved slightly in recent years, damage to beeches remains high and the condition of oaks continues to deteriorate. Further efforts at both the national and international level are essential in order to reduce air pollution emitted from industrial installations, power plants, traffic, households and agricultural operations.