14.03.2008 - The Forestry Council discussed reorganisation at the State Forest Management Centre 10.10

At the meeting that took place on 13 March at the Ministry of the Environment, the Forestry Council, comprised of the representatives of ten organisations, confirmed that the reorganisations at the State Forest Management Centre (RMK) are necessary and justified.

“The realisation that a need for changes has appeared deepened last year when the National Audit Office pointed out serious shortcomings in the work of RMK,” said Rita Annus, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of the Environment. “The Forestry Council was of the opinion that the forestry of the entire country needs complex solutions. Thus, other parts of the forestry administration of the state must also be strengthened in addition to RMK”.

Several members of the Forestry Council found that the only serious shortcoming in the changes being made at RMK is that these are late by several years. The members of the Forest Council considered it important to follow the results of the changes to be made at RMK.

The Forestry Council was established with regulation No 1319 of 26 November last year by the Minister of the Environment, for supporting the forestry development plan and involvement of different interest groups for solving strategic forestry problems.

Represented on the Forestry Council are the representatives of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture, the Union of Private Forest Owners, the Estonian Fund for Nature, the Estonian Forest Industries Association, the State Forest Management Centre, the State Nature Conservation Centre, Private Forest Centre, the Environmental Inspectorate and the Ministry of the Environment. The Forestry Council is managed by Rita Annus, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of the Environment.

Additional information:
Marku Lamp
Director General of the Forest Department of the Ministry of the Environment
+372 626 2920

Background:
RMK is a profit-making state agency established under the Forest Act in 1999, aimed at managing the state forest and establishing opportunities for diverse use of the forest. Compared to the time preceding the formation of RMK, remarkable progress has been made in performing the abovementioned tasks. A uniform integral organisation has been established for managing the state forest.