Office National des Forets

What Office National des Forets does

Office National des Forêts (ONF) is a French state-owned industrial and commercial public establishment (EPIC) founded in 1964 and headquartered in Maisons-Alfort, France. Under state mandate, it manages approximately 2.8 million hectares of public forests (~64% of the French public forest surface) and 15,000 communal forests, harvesting 7.07 million m³ of wood annually and overseeing 25% of metropolitan forest surface. It operates through 15 territorial directions spanning metropolitan France and overseas territories (Guyane, Martinique, Guadeloupe, La Réunion, Mayotte, Corse), with a workforce of 1,001-5,000 employees. Director General is Valérie Metrich-Hecquet.

ONF's core product surface combines physical forest services (sustainable forest management, wood production, biodiversity protection, public recreation, hunting, environmental education) with a digital portfolio of five mobile applications (notably Clés de forêt for species identification, with 80,000 cumulative downloads and 82 species profiles) and multiple specialized portals serving distinct stakeholders: ventesdebois.onf.fr (wood e-commerce), portaildescollectivites.onf.fr (municipalities), portail-artemis.onf.fr (hunters), and paiement.onf.fr (invoicing). The underlying technology is built on forest management information systems, ArcGIS-based GIS platforms, and an Open Data infrastructure (geo-onf.opendata.arcgis.com) exposing WMS/WFS feeds, with the Renecofor network monitoring forest ecosystem health. Sub-brands include Forêt d'Exception® (a registered label for exemplary forests), ONF Vegetis (tree advisory and outdoor furniture), ONF Energie bois (biomass energy), and ONF International (overseas consulting).

The business model is hybrid: mandated stewardship revenue from French communes and the state (forest management fees, wood sales to local enterprises — 45.4% of wood sold via enterprise contracts in 2024, up from 3.9% in 2011) combined with commercial revenue from wood sales to French processors (90% of public forest wood is processed domestically), professional services to enterprises (Arbre Conseil, urban forestry, environmental services, carbon offsetting, ecological compensation), hunting licenses, environmental education programs (20,000 children annually in Île-de-France), forest lodging, and property sales. Go-to-market is sales-led through territorial offices and dedicated online portals. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Strategic partnerships with Education Nationale, Communes forestières France, Réseau Natura 2000, and academic institutions (INRAE, Faculté de médecine de Nancy, ENSTIB) extend ONF's reach.

Name

Office National des Forets

Legal name

Office national des forêts

Website

https://onf.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Office National des Forêts (ONF) is a French state EPIC founded in 1964 that manages 2.8 million hectares of public forests across metropolitan France and overseas territories. It delivers sustainable forest management, wood production, biodiversity protection, environmental education, and professional services to communes, enterprises, and citizens through 15 territorial offices, subsidiaries, and digital portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Forest Management

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Timber Tract Operations (11311), Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Timber Tract Operations (113110)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Timberland Asset Management & Consulting (AFAMAAAI), Forest Management & Silviculture Services (Cruising, Planning, Compliance) (IMAMAAAD), Timberland Compliance, Permitting & Regulatory Management (AFAMAKAF), Reforestation & Afforestation Services (Planting, Site Prep, Regeneration) (IMAMAAAE)

Keywords

• Public forest management
• Wood sales services
• Environmental forestry consulting
• Urban tree advisory
• Forest education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Wood Sales: Sale of wood from public forests to buyers, with online sales platform and contractual sales with local enterprises. 90% of wood from public forests is sold, processed, and transformed by French companies.
2. Professional Services to Enterprises: Customized services and consulting for enterprises including tree management (Arbre Conseil), environmental services, forest management, and urban forestry services.
3. Services to Collectivités: Sustainable solutions for natural spaces, urban forestry, and environmental management for local governments and public organizations.
4. Hunting Licenses: Day hunting licenses for public forests through Artemis portal and specific hunting agreements.
5. Environmental Services: Carbon offset programs, ecological compensation, biodiversity management services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Office National des Forêts (ONF) is the French national forestry office responsible for managing approximately 2.8 million hectares of state-owned and communal public forests under the French forest regime. The organization sells timber from public forests, provides customized forestry and environmental services to municipalities and enterprises, issues hunting licenses, and runs forest education programs and recreational lodging operations through its subsidiary brands and territorial offices across metropolitan France and overseas territories.

Product overview

ONF operates as a multi-channel platform offering digital services, mobile applications, and physical forest-based services. The core offerings include five mobile applications (Clés de forêt for species identification, Balade branchée for regional discovery, Forêts en poche, Cubage ONF, and Futaie des Clos), online commercial platforms (Ventes de bois en ligne for wood sales, Paiement en ligne), specialized portals for different stakeholders (collectivités, hunters), and subsidiary brands (ONF Vegetis for tree advice and outdoor furniture, ONF Energie bois for wood energy, ONF International for overseas operations). Physical services include environmental education programs, hunting services, and forest lodging rentals. The organization also runs specialized programs like the Forêt d'Exception® label and the Renecofor forest observation network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forêt d'Exception: A label recognizing forests of remarkable heritage value, combining biodiversity preservation, reception of public, wood production and governance
• Renecofor
• ONF Vegetis
• ONF Energie bois
• ONF International
• Clés de forêt

Products and services

• Ventes de bois en ligne (Online Wood Sales) E-commerce platform allowing buyers to purchase timber directly from ONF-managed public forests, with contractual sales to local enterprises. 90% of wood from public forests is sold, processed, and transformed by French companies.
• Portail des collectivités Online service portal for elected officials and local government representatives to manage communal forests and access ONF services, providing sustainable solutions for natural spaces, urban forestry, and environmental management.
• Portail Artemis Online portal providing day hunting licenses and specific hunting agreements for hunters and hunting rights tenants in state forests.
• ONF Vegetis Subsidiary specializing in Arbre Conseil® (tree advisory) and sustainable management of tree heritage for enterprises and individuals, including outdoor wooden furniture (Mobiliers bois).
• ONF Energie bois Subsidiary providing wood energy solutions and biomass heating services, leveraging public forest wood resources.
• ONF International International forestry services and consulting subsidiary providing forest management expertise to clients abroad.
• Environmental Education Programs in Forests Environmental education programs including school visits to four dedicated forest pedagogical centers, welcoming approximately 20,000 children annually in Île-de-France for nature discovery activities.
• Hunting Services in State Forests Hunting services in state forests including day hunting licenses, seasonal hunting calendar management, and wildlife management through the Artemis portal.
• Forest Lodging Rentals Rental of forest lodges (gîtes forestiers) for tourists and visitors wanting to stay in ONF-managed forest properties.
• Forest Houses for Sale Sale of forest houses (maisons forestières) from ONF's property portfolio to buyers.
• Environmental Services for Enterprises Customized forestry services and consulting for enterprises including Arbre Conseil® tree management, carbon offset programs, ecological compensation, biodiversity management, and urban forestry services.
• Clés de forêt Mobile Application Educational mobile application helping users identify 82 species (49 trees, 14 animal tracks, 19 birds of prey) in French forests through interactive determination keys with up to 6 questions. Available offline, with 80,000 downloads since launch.
• Balade branchée Mobile Application Mobile application for discovering the natural and cultural heritage of French regions through interactive guided experiences.
• Territorial Forest Management Services On-the-ground sustainable forest management, wood production, biodiversity protection, and public reception services delivered through 15 territorial direction offices across France, covering all metropolitan and overseas regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.8 million hectares of forests managed sustainably for territorial collectivities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Communes forestières FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation representing forest municipalities; ONF works alongside elected officials and the federation to ensure sustainable management of communal forests under the forest regime (régime forestier). Partnership covers 15,000 communal forests totaling 2.8 million hectares.
• Darney-La Vôge Forêt d'Exception AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation created in 2024 to ensure continuity of the Forêt d'Exception démarche and its sustainable anchoring in the territory. Covers 81 communes with 35,000 hectares of labeled public forests.
• Association des Naturalistes de la vallée du Loing (ANVL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental association that co-animates the Natura 2000 network on the Fontainebleau massif with ONF until 2027, under the presidency of the commune of Fontainebleau.
• Forêt d'Exception NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabeled forest sites with participatory governance involving elected officials, associations, and experts meeting regularly to debate and propose actions. Includes Fontainebleau, Sainte-Baume, and other exceptional forests.
• Communes and Local CollectivitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-financing partnerships for public access improvements, forest management projects, and environmental protection initiatives in various French regions.
• Espace RambouilletminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerONF animal and forest park that participated in developing the 'Clés de forêt' application, particularly the birds of prey identification key.
• Faculté de médecine de Nancy and ENSTIBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partners for the first French thesis on links between forest and health, in partnership with ONF and Forêt d'Exception de Darney-La Vôge. Supervised by Michel Munier, naturalist.
• INRAE BordeauxminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerResearch partnership for thesis financing on the impact of species diversification on processionary caterpillar populations.
• Réseau Natura 2000coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network for biodiversity protection; ONF manages 55% of its forest areas in Île-de-France within this network, with various co-management agreements.
• Education NationalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with French national education system to align environmental education programs with school curricula. Programs built with Education Nationale support ensuring coherence between content and official programs.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UPM-Kymmene: Global forest products and biomaterials group with significant own forest holdings. Adjacent incumbent comparable to ONF's commercial timber activities, though private-sector and broader in scope.
• Stora Enso: Major Finnish-Swedish forest products company with own timberland assets and pulp/paper/board operations. Broader incumbent in the same forest-timber value chain as ONF, though primarily a private industrial buyer rather than public forest manager.

Direct peers

• Metsähallitus: Finnish state-owned enterprise managing 12 million hectares of state-owned land and waters, including commercial forestry. Closely comparable to ONF as a state-mandated multi-use forest and land manager with both conservation and commercial mandates.
• Forestry Commission (UK): UK government body responsible for managing public forests and promoting forestry. Comparable to ONF as a national public forest agency managing state forests with a mix of conservation, recreation, and timber production.
• State Forest Management Centre RMK (Estonia): Estonian state-owned forest manager responsible for state forests on a sustainable basis. Comparable to ONF as a public forest manager combining timber production, recreation, biodiversity protection, and environmental education.
• USDA Forest Service: US federal agency managing 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. Comparable in scale and mandate to ONF as a public-sector forest steward balancing timber, recreation, biodiversity, and watershed protection.
• Sveaskog: Sweden's largest forest company and largest state-owned forestry enterprise, managing ~4 million hectares of productive forest land. Directly comparable to ONF in scale, state ownership, and integrated timberland management.
• Bundesforst (Die Bundesforst): German federal forest management agency managing over 360,000 hectares of federal forests. Comparable to ONF as a state-mandated forest manager with public ownership and multiple use mandates in a European regulatory context.

Others

• PEFC International: Global alliance of national forest certification systems. Relevant adjacent organization given ONF's sustainable forest management focus and the importance of certification for French timber sales.
• FSC International: International non-profit setting forest management certification standards. Comparable ecosystem role to ONF's sustainable management mandate, though as a certification body rather than operator; potential partner in certifying ONF-managed forests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ONF_Officiel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsOa1UNusr_ral-kjcuNEqw
• Facebookfr-fr.facebook.com/Officenationaldesforets
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/office-national-des-forets
• Instagraminstagram.com/onf_officiel

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Office National des Forets