There are 98 German national parks.

It is easy to realize the greedy drool from the mouths of the USA forest industry when realizing the large, beautiful forests of Europe, but, Germany has their own logging industry, but, because the forests are so healthy, the industry is unrestricted.

Germany can also use these forests for greenhouse gas mitigation.

Germany (click here) ranks among the densely wooded countries in Europe. Around 11 million hectares corresponding to one third of the national territory are covered with forests. In regional terms,the proportion of woodland cover varies widely, ranging from 10 % in Schleswig-Holstein to over 40 % in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, the most thickly wooded Länder(federal states).

Forests increased by approx.1 million hectares in Germany over the past four decades. The percentage of over 80-year old stands also rose from one quarter to one third of the forest area. The timber stocks in Germany account for 320 m3 per hectare, with the annual timber increment totalling around 100 million m3 in accessible forest without logging restrictions in the mainstand today, i.e. around 9.5 m3 /ha. Hence, Germany occupies a leading place compared with other European countries. This is largely a result of the efforts to rebuild high-yielding and ecologically valuable forests after the destruction of large forest tracts over the past centuries and, more recently, after the clear-cuttings due to both World Wars....

Everyone can take a few lessons from these magnificent forests. The USA has imperiled it's national parks, public lands and national forests by placing them in the hands of plutocrats.

Hainich National Park - an ancient primeval woodland in the heart of Germany

At first glance, (click here) the nature in Hainich National Park might seem like nothing special: Here you will find neither chalk cliffs nor canyons nor coral reefs. And yet it is unique in the world and so belongs to the exclusive family of UNESCO World Heritage sites: Only here grow the last remaining remnants of extensive, undissected beech forests with Central European characteristics on limestone at average altitude. Many rare species live in this specific habitat.

In most areas of Germany, a national park with large forests is within walking distance.