Today, the Nature Protection Department of the Ministry of the Environment discussed the preparation of a state programme "Dangerous Heracleum species 2003..2010" with representatives of the county environmental departments. According to Ms. Liina Eek-Piirsoo, Chief Specialist of the Nature Protection Department, the first step to be made is the mapping of hogweed sites across Estonia. For the above purpose, the Ministry will send relevant guidelines and questionnaires to the county environmental departments. Each land-owner should report to the respective environmental department on sites where Heracleum sosnowskyi plants have been found, and the departments will forward those data to the Ministry of the Environment. By autumn, an overview concerning the distribution of hogweeds is expected to be obtained. As the next step, the financing requirements related to fighting hogweed will be estimated and the most threatened areas where fighting activities should be started will be selected. According to Ms. Eek-Piirsoo, the state programme will be submitted to the government for approval still within 2003. Fight against the dangerous hogweeds is expected to be started next year. "There should be no longer delay in starting the fight against hogweed as each year of delay would imply considerable financial loss. The hogweed distribution is explosively expanding; the number of sites increases yearly and the fight will become gradually more complicated," said Ms. Eek-Piirsoo. The objectives of the state programme to be prepared are the termination of spreading of Heracleum sosnowskyi and Heracleum mantegazzianum in Estonia, the destroying of distribution cores of the dangerous hogweeds, and informing of the public concerning the risks caused by those umbellifers. For additional information please contact: |
