Press releases

MINSK, 14 April (BelTA) – Plans have been made to plant over 18 million trees in Belarus during the Forest Week campaign, BelTA learned from Belarusian Forestry Minister Vitaly Drozhzha on 14 April.

It is the 11^th Forest Week on record. The Forestry Ministry has prepared over 1,300 sites in anticipation of the awareness-raising campaign. There are plans to plant over 18 million trees, said the official. The new forests to be planted during the event will occupy over 3,700ha.

The Forest Week is scheduled to take place in Belarus on 14-21 April. The Forestry Ministry is its traditional organizer. This year’s event is dedicated to the Year of Native Land and to the restoration of the forests damaged by pests.

The campaign began in Logoisk District, Minsk Oblast on 14 April. Representatives of the private sector, public associations, mass media, government agencies, oversight agencies, and MPs vigorously support the campaign. The number of participants grows higher every year. Some 81,000 people joined in the campaign in 2016. The number rose to 82,500 people in 2017. “We hope that this year the number of participants will exceed 100,000,” said the forestry minister.

Anyone can take part in the campaign. Apply to your nearest forestry enterprise where volunteers will be fitted with the necessary tools and saplings.

Vitaly Drozhzha stressed that forests are important for the country’s social and economic development. Nearly 40% of Belarus’ territory is covered with forests. “Forest management and forest restoration are the main tasks of the Belarusian Forestry Ministry. We harvest trees according to plans and now these territories need to be reforested. We intend to plant trees on about 29,000ha this year,” said the official.