Alina Oprea • 31 January, 2024 at 12:40 PM
More than 25 million forest saplings were planted in state forests, thus regenerating 14,368 hectares, according to data from the National Forestry Agency (RNP) - Romsilva. The planting actions took place during the two afforestation campaigns, spring and autumn, and the regenerated surface of the forest fund, the public property of the state, was higher by 9.9% compared to the initial program. Thus, natural regeneration works were carried out on the surface of 10,238 hectares, and artificial regeneration works, through afforestation works, on a surface of 4,130 hectares.
"In these areas are also included the 31 hectares of forest curtains for the protection of communication routes, made by the Ialomiţa Forest Directorate, to protect the A2 highway, and by the Giurgiu Forest Directorate, in the vicinity of the A1 highway. Also, for the consolidation of the plantations established in previous years and in the spring of 2023, current addition works were carried out on the surface of 2,368 hectares and restoration works of the calamitous plantations on the surface of 635 hectares", informs Romsilva.
The total value of the regeneration works of the state forest fund was RON 200 million (€40 million).
At the same time, in the forests managed based on contracts or for which Romsilva provides forestry services, forest regeneration works were carried out on an area of 2,039 hectares. Of these, natural regenerations were carried out on 1,258 hectares, artificial regenerations on another 781 hectares and current addition works on 148 hectares, in the plantations carried out in previous years and in the spring of 2023.
For the afforestation, completion, and restoration works carried out in 2023 in the forestry fund administered by Romsilva on a contract basis, around 3.79 million forest saplings were used, and the value of the regeneration works amounted to RON 16.3 million (€3.26 million).
The centralized data reveal the fact that, in the last five years, the Regia has regenerated 72,330 hectares of forest land, the public property of the state, of which 48,604 hectares through natural regeneration and 23,726 hectares through afforestation works, for all current regeneration works, afforestation, restoration, and additions, being used about 132 million forest saplings, produced in our forestry nurseries.
Romsilva manages 3.13 million hectares of state-owned public forests (about 48% of the country's forests), 22 national and natural parks, and 12 state stud farms, and provides forestry services for about one million hectares of forests under other forms of ownership.