Monday 11 June will mark the 10th anniversary of the passage of the Estonian forest policy by the national parliament. This was preceded by the launch of the Estonian Forestry Development Programme in 1995, whose task was to produce the forest policy, determining the general objectives of forestry in the country and the state’s role in achieving them. A number of ministries and other state agencies were involved in the development of the policy, as were a variety of social organisations. The main two objectives established in the policy – sustainable forestry and effective management of forests – today form the basis and represent the key words of many documents. “If you look back and think what has changed in ten years and whether those objectives have been met, you could say that the directions taken in Estonia’s forest policy have been the starting points for the majority of policy decisions,” said Marku Lamp, Deputy Director of the Forest Department of the Ministry of the Environment. Founded for the judicious management of national forests during this decade has been the State Forest Management Centre. The proportion of stringently protected forests has risen in the period from 3% to 9.3% (2006). The total area of protected forests has grown from 15% to around 30%. Methods and mechanisms have also been developed for the compensation of restrictions enforced on private forests. One of the most important objectives set by the policy was support for private forestry. In order to achieve this, the Private Forest Centre foundation was established in 1999 with the aim of contributing to more environmentally friendly and efficient management of Estonian forests by improving the knowledge of land owners and administering state funding. Goals were also set to enrich local living environments and the holiday and recreational opportunities open to tourists. Significant improvements can be seen in these areas today, as can larger numbers of people making the most of the chances they have been given. Cabins, huts, hiking trails and other essentials have all been constructed. “Meeting the objectives set by the policy has meant that the area of forested land in Estonia is continuing to grow, currently making up 51% of the entire country,” Lamp explained. “One in every 13 Estonians works in the forestry and timber industry, which guarantees the sustainable management of forests and provides timber as environmentally friendly products both inside Estonia and abroad. People here enjoy heading into the forest to go hiking or hunting, or orienteering, or to pick mushrooms and berries. Our forests are biologically diverse and sustainably managed.” You can read the policy document (in Estonian) at: For further information please contact: Kairi Toiger |
