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Private forests exist across Greece, and some cover extensive areas. Their ownership is rooted in a legal framework dating back to the early years of the modern Greek state, when authorities first had to distinguish between public and private forests inherited from the Ottoman period.
A royal decree issued in 1836 established the criteria for recognizing private forest ownership. Under its provisions, forests could be considered private if they had been transferred in accordance with Ottoman legal procedures and could be shown to have been privately owned before the start of the Greek War of Independence.
Forests located within large private estates, known as chifliks, were also recognized as private property, even when they were not explicitly listed in the estate’s title deeds, provided that they fell within its boundaries.
The distinction matters because private forests are not simply areas classified as forestland on Greece’s forest maps, such as land located near streams. They can comprise thousands of hectares that, although not necessarily eligible for development, remain under private ownership. Owners may have the right to impose restrictions on activities such as hunting, logging and even public access.
A long history of forest ownership disputes
Until 1915, individuals could acquire ownership of public property, including forests and forestland, through a legal process known as acquisitive prescription. This required 30 years of possession in good faith and as an owner. A person could also count the period of possession by a previous legal owner if the property had been lawfully transferred to them.
The rules changed in 1915, prompting many claimants to search for deeds, chrysobulls — historical documents issued by Byzantine emperors granting rights or privileges — and other records to establish ownership or demonstrate that their ancestors had used the land for decades.
The demarcation of forestland was revisited under Law 248 of 1976. By 1998, cadastral records covered only 2.5% of Greece.
A subsequent systematic mapping effort began under Law 3889/2010, when forest maps covering approximately 1% of the country were mapped and posted. From 2016 onward, the Forest Mapping Departments published maps exclusively in digital format, using geographic information systems (GIS).
The maps are available online through the Hellenic Cadastre, Greece’s national land registry.
Over the years, ownership requirements and the legal framework have become stricter, leading to increasingly large areas being recognized as public property. Nevertheless, some forests have retained private status, despite the expansion of state ownership through government actions or pressure from residents in the relevant areas.
The different ownership categories
A significant share of Greece’s forests remains outside public ownership. Depending on their legal status, these areas are classified as privately owned, jointly owned, held in possession, jointly held in possession, communal or monastic.
The category of forests held in possession refers to land whose ownership has not been definitively settled in relation to the state. The government claims ownership, while private individuals dispute that claim and continue to possess the land pending a final court ruling.
Such disputed forests and forestland are estimated to account for between 5% and 10% of the country’s total forest areas — a substantial share of the national territory.
Three notable examples of private forests
Among the best-known cases is the Prokopi-Drazio Forest on the island of Evia, also known as Baker Forest. It escaped the devastating wildfires that struck the island in 2021.
Its history dates back to 1832, when Edward H. Noel and Friedrich Rudolph von Fellenberg purchased the Ahmetaga estate, which initially covered 60,000 stremmas, or approximately 6,000 hectares.
In 1839, they added the neighboring Drazio estate, covering about 10,000 stremmas, or 1,000 hectares. Their aim was to establish an agricultural school in Greece modeled on Switzerland’s Hofwyl agricultural school, where both men had studied.
By 1889, the combined agricultural and forestry estate had expanded to 90,000 stremmas, or 9,000 hectares, encompassing forests, pastures and cultivated land.
Another prominent example is the so-called Forests of Philippos, a group of six forests with a combined area of 103,000 stremmas, or 10,300 hectares. They are located across the regional units of Imathia and Pieria in northern Greece.
Their management is currently handled by a company that says its main priority is the sustainable management and protection of the forests, while maintaining a balance between the natural environment and human activity.
A third case is the forest of Agoriani, also known as Eptalofos, in the regional unit of Phocis. Covering 54,000 stremmas, or 5,400 hectares, it was recognized as privately and jointly owned by the residents of Agoriani, with each holding an undivided share, under a 1936 court ruling.
More recently, allegations were made over forged joint-ownership titles connected to the forest. The case was also linked to the OPEKEPE scandal, involving Greece’s agricultural payments agency.