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In addition to the challenges of climate change, forest policy in Germany has to cope with increasing and competing demands of society on the ecosystem services of the forest. The private forest with about half of the forest area in Germany is of great importance for forest policy. Pluralization, urbanization and digitization also require an adaptation of forest policy instruments to create the legally desired balance of interests between private forest owners and the rest of society. Many of the information about both groups necessary for this adaptation has been missing so far.

Based on a nationwide representative telephone survey of private forest owners and the rest of society, the present study has succeeded in closing part of the existing knowledge gaps.

The share of private forest owners in the population is 3% and corresponds to 1.82 million people. Because of the change in ownership, about 65,000 people become new forest owners each year. Private forest owners as part of society deviate only slightly in their life situation from the average of the rest of society. For the first time, there is an allocation of the private forest owners to social milieus, which provides a starting point for a more targeted approach in communication. Furthermore, there is evidence that there are potentials for an increased activation of private forest owners for forest management activities, which in the majority also have societal acceptance.

The continuation of such surveys is considered an elementary prerequisite of evidence-based forest policy advice.