RMK to plant a record 18.7 million trees in the state forest

This year, the State Forest Management Centre (RMK) will plant 18.7 million trees in the state forest, i.e. 14 trees for each person living in Estonia. Helicopters will also be used to transport plants to inaccessible areas.





According to Rainer Laigu, Chief Specialist of Forest Management at RMK, forest planters will have some really busy weeks ahead of them. “Every day almost half a million of plants will be planted, an area that is equivalent to one football pitch per minute,” Laigu said. All in all, 200,000 more trees are being planted in the state forest than last year.

During the six-week planting period, RMK will provide seasonal jobs to 1700 people in its nurseries and the forest. RMK has already found the necessary employees.

RMK will mostly plant coniferous trees in state forests: 10.1 million pines and 7.3 million spruces. This year, 1.3 million deciduous trees - mainly birches, but to some extent also black alders, will be planted. “The lion’s share of the plants will be planted in spring; however, for the fourth year in a row, we will also leave some of the forest renewal to the autumn months,” Laigu explained. This year more than 700,000 spruces will be left waiting for the autumn planting season.

Out of the counties, the largest number, i.e. nearly 3.4 million trees, will be planted in Ida-Viru County, which is the most forested area in Estonia, and where oil shale quarries are currently being reforested.

If the plants are normally transported to the clear cut areas via an off-road vehicle, tractor or an ATV, then for the second consecutive year RMK will be transporting plants to inaccessible areas via helicopter. When foresting the quarries, where the soil is very dry, the plants are dipped into a hydrogel solution before planting, which significantly improves their ability to grow.

Altogether, RMK is renewing 9800 ha of forests this year, 2000 ha of which is being left to natural reforestation. The plants required for the renewal of the state forest are grown by RMK in eight nurseries across Estonia; one million potted pine plants will also be bought this year from Latvia.

RMK is the keeper, protector and manager of the forest and other natural biotic communities belonging to the Republic of Estonia. RMK earns a profit for the state through forest management, growing reforestation material, and organising forest and nature conservation works. In addition, RMK establishes opportunities for nature walking in recreational and protected areas and shapes nature awareness. RMK consists of the Sagadi Forest Centre, the Elistvere Animal Park, the Tartu Tree Nursery, AS Eesti Metsataim and the Põlula Fish Farm. More than 700 people work for RMK; however, the total number of people employed in the state forest is 5000.

Further information:

Rainer Laigu

Chief Specialist of Forest Management at RMK

telephone 510 1411

e-mail: rainer.laigu@rmk.ee

Visit the website www.rmk.ee/eluring to learn more about the works being carried out in the forest, the people performing those works, and the circle of life in the forest..