Over 40% of the city territory is composed of forests and forestry land, whereof 2/3 are state-owned. Total wood stocks in state-owned forests exceed 5.5 Million m³, whereof almost 4 Million m³ is in high forests. There are only 10% of conifer trees, whilst it is intended to have at least 30%. Annual volume increment amounts to 120,000 m³. Diameter structure of high forests and seedlings as well as age structure of forest cultures is significantly “moved to the left” as experts would say, which means that thinner and younger trees are abundant.
Forests of this area are well accessible via good roads and therefore people can enjoy hiking, as well as recreational and sport activities and the development of hunting tourism. Previously identified programmes of the development of hiking and recreational surface areas around Banja Luka (Šibovi, Starčevica, Trapisti) should be innovated and implemented, whereas the youth and all inhabitants referred to the importance of the stay outdoors and, by building appropriate facilities, make attractive to inhabitants beautiful mountains such as Manjača, Osmača and Čemernica.
