A. Research and development activities:

a) within the National Plan for research-development and innovation;
b) for the implementation of sectoral plans, core programs and other national programs;
c) within international research-development and innovation programs;
d) within the framework of the forest management planning program, public property of the state;
e)other scientific research and technological development activities;

B. Activities related to the research-development activity, carried out in the own field of activity, with the approval of the coordinating ministry and, as the case may be, with the authorization of the competent institutions, consisting of:

a) participation in the development of the field strategy;
b) training and professional specialization;
c) participation with staff and equipment in intensive courses of short and medium duration for personnel working in the field, in state and private units;
d) organization of national and international scientific events;
e) professional training in the field of forestry, in cooperation with specialized educational institutions, at the university, postgraduate and doctorate level;
f) consultancy and specialized technical assistance;
g)editing and printing of specialized publications and maps;
h) provision of services;
i) participation in the realization of the technological transfer related to the results obtained in the research and development activity;
j) execution of unique and small series, within the microproduction activity, production activities in the own experimental base;
k) internal trade and import-export activities related to its object of activity;
l) operational activities in the field;
m) integrated background and impact monitoring of forest health; the national institute is the national focal center for forest soil-vegetation monitoring;
n) the national institute is the designated authority for the certification of reproductive forest materials intended for international trade in accordance with the rules of the OECD scheme;
o) the national institute is the national focal center for the conservation of forest genetic resources;
p) the national institute is a national scientific authority designated for the application of the provisions of Regulation (EC) no. 338/97 of the Council of December 9, 1996 regarding the protection of wild fauna and flora species by controlling trade with them;
r) the organization, improvement and management of a national testing network of pesticides and herbicides used in forestry, according to the legislation in force;
s) elaboration of summaries and reports for the foundation of policies and strategies in the field of forestry;
ş) elaboration of the annual national report on the state of health of forests in Romania;
t) the elaboration of impact studies and environmental assessments for economic activities with an impact on the forest stock, based on the certificates issued according to the legislation in force;
ţ) conditioning, preservation and quality testing of forest seeds in accordance with international requirements, based on ISTA accreditation;
u) editing, printing and dissemination of scientific and technical works;
v) elaboration and revision of technical norms and standards in forestry;
x) providing consultancy and technical assistance in all fields of competence;
y) providing technical assistance to the central authorities in the fields of competence, for monitoring the application of the provisions of international conventions and agreements to which Romania is a part;
z) promoting, disseminating and exploiting the results of the research and development activity carried out.

C. As part of research and development activities, the national institute carries out fundamental and applied research, mainly regarding:

I. Studying the structure and dynamics of forest ecosystems, in order to substantiate their sustainable management measures, through:

a) research on the dynamics and structure of natural and artificial forest ecosystems;
b) research on the ecology of forest species and their area;
c) meteorology and forest climatology research and regarding the influence of climatic factors on forest ecosystems;
d) the study of fragile forest ecosystems, in order to increase their stability;
e) monitoring and evaluating the impact of global environmental changes on forest ecosystems.

II. Studying the physiological processes of trees in order to increase the productivity and stability of forest ecosystems, through::

a) knowledge of the ecophysiological processes of tree growth;
b) evaluation of carbon stocks, inventory of greenhouse gases and dimensioning of flows in forest ecosystems;
c) ) the research of biogeochemical circuits in forest ecosystems, in the context of changes in the composition of the atmosphere as a result of pollution;
d) ) research related to the physiology of trees under climatic stress conditions.

III. The study of soils and forest stations, for the purpose of sustainable forest management, through:

a) complex characterization and quantification of the natural capital specific to forest ecosystems;
b) assessment of the quality of forest soils through national and pan-European monitoring systems;
c) research on the main pedological processes; modeling the genesis of forest soils;
d) knowing the seasonal specifics of some forest biotopes and improving the taxonomic system for classifying soils, resorts and forest ecosystems;
e) determination of indices for assessing the degree of loading of forest soils with inorganic and organic pollutants;
f) assessment of the vulnerability of forest soils to erosion and other degradation phenomena and the development of prevention, combat and recovery measures;
g) the ecological foundation of regional forestry.

IV. Forestry genetics research and tree improvement through conventional methods and the use of biotechnologies, through:

a) the study of the diversity and genetic variability of forest species;
b) ) the establishment and sustainable management of the sources of basic materials for the production of reproductive forest materials, genetically improved;
c) testing the genetic value of the sources of forest reproduction materials in multi-station experimental crops, to designate the most valuable sources, by region of origin;
d) establishment, conservation and sustainable management of forest genetic resources in Romania;
e) improvement of trees to increase resistance to diseases and pests, to harmful abiotic factors (drought, frost, etc.), as well as to increase wood production and quality;
f) the selection of valuable tree populations, based on biosystemic studies and the genetic variability established in multi-station comparative crops;
g) in vitro multiplication of valuable genotypes, through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis;
h) the study of the genetic diversity of trees with the help of genetic markers (phenomic, biochemical and molecular-DNA markers).

V. Research and monitoring of the biological diversity of forests and their associated ecosystems, through:

a) assessment and monitoring of forest biodiversity;
b) identification of the types of ecosystems and forest habitats valuable from the point of view of biodiversity;
c) substantiating the establishment of protected areas;
d) conducting research on the conservation of natural habitats and species of wild flora and fauna from forest ecosystems and developing measures to protect them;
e) conducting studies and research for the creation of ecological networks;
f) elaboration of studies regarding the protection of wild flora and fauna species;
g) development of management plans for protected natural areas and Natura 2000 sites;
h) research on invasive species;
i) knowledge of the ecology of species with high energy value.

VI. Improving forest management, through:

a) the naturalistic and statistical-mathematical substantiation of the biometric processes of trees and stands;
b) the development of biometric methods and models for trees and groves;
c) development of dendrochronological and dendro-climatological series;
d) monitoring the condition of the forests, by supervising the quality of the components of the forest environment;
e) the operation of the IT system of the forest stock;
f) development and implementation of the IT system for forest management planning;
g) development of models for establishing the possibilities of the forest;
h) development of economic assessment methodologies of forest ecosystems;
i) elaboration of studies and forecasts of demand and supply of wood and non-wood products;
j) the development of evaluation methodologies of forest functions and services.

VII. Contributions to the development of policies and strategies in forestry, through:

a) studies for the substantiation of projects of normative acts specific to the field;
b) participation in the development of strategies for the sustainable development of forestry;
c) prospective studies in field-specific activities, as well as in related fields;
d) participation in the development of the national forest program.

VIII. Improving the technologies related to the regeneration of stands, nursery crops and the care and management of stands, through:

a) modernization of silvicultural methods and technologies for the natural regeneration of stands;
b) improving systems and technologies regarding the care and management of arboretums;
c) the improvement of wood exploitation technologies, through which the optimal regeneration of forests is obtained, the superior valorization of wood, under the conditions of a minimal impact on forest ecosystems;
d) improving technologies for improving, restoring or replacing degraded stands;
e) optimizing the processes of regeneration, development and self-regulation of forest phytocenoses.

IX. IX. Improving forest protection systems, to reduce the unfavorable action of biotic and abiotic factors on them, by

a) developing methods of forecasting, prevention and combating forest pests and diseases;
b) in-depth knowledge of the biology and ecology of harmful biotic agents;
c) priority development of technologies for biological and integrated control of insects and harmful cryptogamic agents;
d) testing and approval of chemical and biological pesticides;
e) ensuring the functioning of the national system for monitoring the phytosanitary state of forests;
f) risk assessment and identification of means of prevention and reduction of damage caused by various harmful abiotic factors in forestry.

X. Application of information technology in forestry and related fields, including through the use of geographic information systems (GIS), through:

a) creation of geographic databases as a support in forest management;
b) exploitation of geographic databases, such as GIS analyses, digital maps, creation of digital land models (DTM), etc.;
c) the use of remote sensing technologies and digital photogrammetry in forestry.

XI. Evaluation of hunting and fishing resources in mountain waters, conservation and management of wild life, through:

a) research on the biology, ecology, ethology and management of some species of mammals and birds of faunal interest;
b) studying hunting and salmon resources for the sustainable management and conservation of faunal biodiversity of hunting and fishing funds;
c) research on the reintroduction of extinct species from Romania’s fauna;
d) research on the restoration and conservation of natural habitats and populations of endangered species;
e) development of technologies for reproduction and captive breeding of individuals of certain species, in order to repopulate hunting grounds and mountain waters;
f) research on the management of fishing funds in mountain waters.

XII. Increasing the degree of mechanization of forestry works, through:

a) testing agricultural, forestry and other machines for the purpose of their use in forestry;
b) adaptation of machines, machines and equipment for general or agricultural use to the specific requirements of forestry works;
c) elaboration of studies and projects for modern organization of production, ergonomics and labor protection.

XIII. Combating soil erosion and torrential phenomena, by:

a) substantiating the technical solutions for the development of the territory, in order to combat the degradation phenomena in an integrated manner;
b) the development of studies regarding the design, execution, operation, maintenance and repair of the improvement works necessary to combat soil erosion and torrentiality;
c) management of torrential hydrographic basins.

XIV. Realization of the national forest inventory, through:

a) development of methods and models for statistical inventory of national forest resources;
b) collection, storage, management, processing and analysis of data and information necessary for the assessment of forest resources;
c) evaluation of carbon stored in forest ecosystems;
d) assessment of biological diversity in forest ecosystems;
e) elaboration of studies and forecasts regarding the evolution of forest resources and the development of the forest sector;
f) providing information for reporting sustainable forest management indicators.

XV. Elaborarea de studii şi proiecte de dezvoltare tehnologică, respectiv:

a) the development of forest manangement planning for the sustainable management of forests;
b) synthesis studies, forecasts and programs regarding forest resources, at national and regional level;
c) studies and projects regarding the realization of the national system of shelter-belts;
d) pedological studies and stationary mapping;
e) forestry certification studies;
f) works for the realization of the cadastre of lands for forestry purposes;
g) topographic plans and forest maps;
h) studies and projects for the creation of green areas;
i) studii de reconstrucţie ecologică;
j) studies on forest accessibility;
k) avalanche prevention studies;
l) projects for hunting and salmon farms;
m) other studies and projects.

XVI. Development of the offer of services and non-wood products of the forest, through:

a) valorificarea superioară a produselor nelemnoase şi a serviciilor furnizate de pădure;
b) evaluation of the forest tourism potential of the representative areas of the forest fund.

XVII. The use of wood as a renewable source of energy, through:

a) obtaining varieties of woody species with superior energy properties;
b) the development of technologies for cultivation, harvesting and valorization of woody plants with higher energy yield.

XVIII. The contribution of forestry to the development of other sectors of activity, through:

a) substantiation of the measures regarding increasing the role and contribution of forestry to rural development;
b) foundation and development of agroforestry technologies;
c) improving the contribution of forestry to the development of agritourism;
d) harmonizing aspects related to the sustainable management of forests with socio-economic needs.

XIX. Making the forest fund accessible, through:

a) fundamentarea strategiilor de dezvoltare a reţelelor de drumuri şi a altor instalaţii forestiere de transport;
b) the development of methods and technologies for the construction and maintenance of forest roads and other transport facilities.

D. The national institute carries out production activities in its own experimental base, composed of experimental forestry bypasses and experimental bases, acting for the defense, conservation and sustainable development of the forest stock it administers, as well as for the management of the hunting and fishing funds, assigned according to the law, for the harvesting and valorization through acts and acts of trade of the products specific to the forest fund, under the conditions of the law, exercising public service attributions specific to forestry.

E. In managing its own experimental base, the national institute has the following main attributions:

a) knowledge of the ecophysiological processes of tree growth;
b) ensures the realization of specialized scientific research, of forest management planning and the design of investment works, as well as the realization of specialized technical assistance through certified profile units, under the conditions provided by law;
c) ensures the integrity and sustainable management of the state-owned forest stock, as well as that belonging to other holders, which it has in its administration;
d) finances the works necessary for the management of the forest stock, public property of the state under administration and the normal development of the activity;
e) organizes and completes the cadastre for the forest stock, the public property of the state that it administers;
f) take measures to liquidate enclaves from the managed forest stock and to correct the perimeter of the forests they manage;
g) proposes land exchanges and/or approves the permanent removal or temporary occupation of some lands from the managed forest stock, as the case may be;
h) can buy privately owned lands or can take over such lands, in the case of their donation by the owners, with a view to afforestation, with funds from the forest conservation and regeneration stock; these lands are included in the forestry stock, public property of the state;
i) takes over, in administration, degraded lands from the private and public domain of the state, included in the amelioration perimeters and intended to be afforested; the expenses for the necessary works are borne from the stock for the improvement of the forestry land fund, from allocations from the state budget or from other sources;
j) organizes and carries out the protection of the forest stock that it administers against illegal cutting of trees, theft, destruction, degradation, grazing, poaching and other harmful acts, as well as measures to prevent and extinguish forest fires, ensuring in this sense the equipment necessary technique;
k) organizes and executes, in accordance with the provisions of forest management planning or other specialized studies, the regeneration and ecological reconstruction works of the forests it administers, as well as those for the care of young stands and the maintenance of regenerations;
l) ensures the realization of the regeneration compositions established by the forest management planning and specialized studies in the forest stock that it administers;
m) manages the forest genetic resources from the forest stock it administers;
n) ensures the production and use of certified forest reproduction materials;
o) carries out afforestation outside the forest stock, as well as forest shelter-belt, contracted based on the requests received;
p) ensures the protection of the lands from the forest stock that it administers against erosion and other forms of degradation, based on the improvement project, proposing and coordinating works to correct the torrents on the forest lands located in the improvement perimeters, financed from the state budget or from other sources;
r) ensures the appropriate phytosanitary status of the forests it administers, organizing the necessary actions to detect, prevent and combat diseases and pests;
s) places and values the wood mass to be harvested annually from the forests it administers, in accordance with the forest management planning;
ş) exercise control over compliance with forestry rules for wood exploitation in the forests they administer;
t) controls the origin of wood materials, other products specific to the forest stock and the legality of their circulation, according to the legal provisions;
ţ) utilizes the wood mass approved for harvesting from the forests it manages;
u) performs, under its own direction or through certified economic operators, wood exploitation works from the forests it administers;
v) processes wood in its own facilities or by concluding contracts with authorized companies and valorizes the resulting products, in accordance with the law;
x) purchase wood by the foot and in assortments, under the law;
y) ensures the realization of the network of forest roads necessary to make the forest stock accessible;
z) performs construction, maintenance and repair works of the forest roads that it manages, under its own management or through specialized economic operators;
ax) administers or provides specialized services, on the basis of an order or contract, for privately owned forest lands or belonging to administrative-territorial units, shelter-belt or lands outside the forest stock;
ay) supports, under the law, the owners of lands outside the forest stock in the creation of plantations and shelter-belts;
az) manages the hunting funds assigned to him;
bx) manages the fish stock in the mountain waters, under the law;
by) organize hunting and fishing actions, under the law;
bz) organizes forest tourism actions, as well as filming and photographing the game and the natural landscape, in the forest stock it administers;
cx) organizes the intensive breeding of game in specially arranged spaces, under the conditions of the law;
cy) can perform any other duties provided by law, related to the management of hunting and fishing funds in mountain waters;
cz) capitalize on the confiscated wood material, the amounts obtained having the destination provided by law;
dx) participates with specific products in exhibitions and fairs in the country and abroad, being able to organize, in turn, such events.

F. Other attributions and powers of the national institute:

a) provides services, including transport and performs works for third parties, according to its object of activity;
b) carry out internal and external trade operations, with a view to the efficient utilization of products specific to the forest stock and other products;
c) establishes relations specific to its field of activity with third-party legal and natural persons, Romanian or foreign;
d) provides accommodation and meal services for Romanian and foreign citizens, in the spaces with such purpose at its disposal;
e) rents, in accordance with the law, goods from its own patrimony;
f) establishes tariffs for works, products and services in its field of activity;
g) realizes the policy of credits and other sources of financing, programming and execution of the economic-financial activity, prepares the budget of revenues and expenses, monitors its execution and ensures the distribution of the profit according to the approved destination;
h) carries out activities to promote the national institute and forestry, in general, journalism and advertising, edits, prints and disseminates scientific, technical and informational works, specific to its field of activity;
i) represents in court, in its own name, the right of administration in the domains that constitute its object of activity.