After the summer of 2003, this year's summer is the second-warmest since weather records in Germany began, the German Forestry Council (DFWR) announced in a press release. According to a DFWR survey, storms Xavier and Herwart in 2017 as well as Fredericke in 2018 alone caused damages amounting to 20 million sm³ or €700 million.
Due to drought and bark beetles, the damages for forest owners increased considerably. DFWR president Georg Schrimbeck estimates a total of more than 5 million sm³ of damages due to beetle infestation in German forests. In combination with additional costs due to incurred fellings and losses due to markdowns on fresh wood prices, Schirmbeck anticipates bark beetle damages of up to €270 million. One third of the more than one billion of planted trees this year withered. Replacement plantings cost forest owners more than €0.5 bn. In addition, forest fires due to drought caused €7 million of damages throughout the country.
The total extent of loss for German Forests amounts to almost €2 bn., Schirmbeck concludes. He vehemently demands a package of measures for forest owners from the government.
