National afforestation campaign starts in Moldova

Chisinau, 16 November /MOLDPRES/ - More than 26 million small trees will be planted within the national afforestation campaign this autumn. Ministers, civil servants and all people interested plant trees today.  

Environment Minister Sergiu Lazarencu, along with the director of the Moldsilva Forestry Agency, Victor Durbala, has earlier started the campaign. Today in Malaiesti, central Orhei district, the government along with all ministries starts the planting works within the National Afforestation Campaign on an area of 40 hectares.    

Also, another 440 locations for planting will be available in Moldova within 160 mayoralties, so that citizens from different regions of the country can take part in the afforestation.  

„This autumn, we will plant more than 26 million small trees. It is about oak trees, ash trees, acacias and maple trees. They were grown in nurseries of the Moldsilva Forestry Agency on an area of over 4,000 hectares. Each tree planted will be a symbol of our responsibility for the nature and the country’s future. We have a unique chance to change the country’s landscape,’’ Minister Sergiu Lazarencu said.

Also, Sergiu Lazarencu stressed that the local public authorities had made available over 24,000 hectares of lands for afforestation since the launch of the National Programme on the Extension and Rehabilitation of Forests.

According to the competent authorities, new forests will be created in the northern, southern and central regions. Thus, plantings will be made on an area of more than 940 hectares on lands of mayoralties from the districts of Briceni, Ocnita, Edinet, Sangerei, Glodeni, Falesti, Drochia, Soroca, Floresti, Soldanesti and Rezina.

The today’s action titled, Government Plants #ForestGeneration, is part of the National Programme on the Extension and Rehabilitation of Forests, which provides for the afforestation of 145,000 hectares in the next ten years.

Presently, the afforested area of Moldova occupies 11 per cent of the country territory, while the degree of afforestation in EU is of 37.7 per cent.