Bavarian State Forests – A Modern Multisite Platform for Sustainable Forest Management

The Bavarian State Forests (BaySF) manage approximately 30% of Bavaria’s total forest area, making it one of the largest forestry operations in Europe. With the relaunch of the website www.baysf.de, a modern, accessible, and user-oriented platform has been created that focuses on information, transparency, and service. The new web portal is aimed at citizens, forest owners, timber buyers, those interested in the environment, as well as the media and political stakeholders. 

Project Goals

The project’s primary objective was to develop a clearly structured, responsive website with improved navigation through user-centered information architecture. To achieve this, a modern, Drupal-based solution was implemented to ensure editorial flexibility, enabling the integration of location-specific content for 41 forestry operations and providing a comprehensive sustainability portal on forest management and climate protection.

The digital relaunch involved a complete modernization of the existing website in terms of technology, design, usability, and accessibility. The focus was on the user experience, with a significant simplification of the information-finding process for various target groups.

A key objective was to achieve editorial autonomy by establishing a flexible CMS structure with both centralized and decentralized editing capabilities. At the same time, the BaySF brand was to be strengthened through a consistent visual identity and a compelling presentation of its social relevance. Technical scalability was factored in from the outset to prepare the system for future expansions.

Project Results Achieved

The relaunch was successfully implemented within the planned timeframe and budget. This resulted in significant improvements in page load times, mobile optimization, and SEO.

The result is a central platform for information, news, downloads, contact details, and career opportunities, featuring standalone microsites for all forestry operations with localizable content. The solution meets modern web standards, including GDPR compliance and BITV requirements.

Its success is evident in the positive feedback from internal and external stakeholders, as well as in significantly increased user numbers and longer session durations since the launch.

Challenges

A key project goal was to transform the complex organizational structure of the Bavarian State Forests—with its more than 40 regional forestry operations, diverse target groups, and wide range of topics—into a clear, user-friendly website. 

Particular challenges in this process included: 

• Diverse Perspectives Across Departments: Different requirements from forestry, communications, IT, timber marketing, hunting, and sustainability management had to be consolidated and transformed into a consistent body of information.

• Decentralized Editorial Control: The desire for editorial autonomy on the part of the forestry operations required flexible rights management within the CMS.

• Complex Content: Technically in-depth topics (e.g., climate adaptation, certifications, sustainable timber use) had to be presented in a way that was accessible to the general public and visually appealing.

• Technical Integration: Integration of existing systems, map data, and external data sources—while ensuring data protection and performance. 

Communication with Business Units 

Communication with the business units took place through regular scheduled meetings and review sessions. A central steering group (Communications & IT Department) handled the coordination between the decentralized requirements and the technical implementation. 

Key success factors were: 

• Early involvement of key stakeholders
• Creation of clickable prototypes for visualization
• An agile approach with iterative development and testing
• Clear editorial guidelines and training for future use 

This close, structured collaboration made it possible to create a unified, compelling platform out of a multitude of individual interests. 

Conclusion

The new website of the Bavarian State Forests proves that even a public-sector institution with a complex structure, diverse content, and high standards for accessibility and sustainability can implement a modern, user-centered, and high-performance platform based on Drupal. 

Particularly noteworthy: 

• Excellent implementation with Drupal—particularly in terms of the multisite approach, the roles and permissions framework, and the flexibility to accommodate future requirements

• Outstanding user experience and responsive design despite significant editorial and structural complexity

• A model for digital government communication—in terms of transparency, sustainability, and public service

• Delighted Client: BaySF is completely satisfied with the result and views the website as a strategically important communication and information tool 

For more information, please visit: www.adesso.de