6 month report of regional forestry services
Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Kakha Kakabadze met with the heads of regional forestry services and listened to the report of the 6 months of works performed.
The National Forestry Agency is the primary organization responsible for managing forests in the country, whose priority directions are forest restoration, improvement of the sanitary condition of forests, forest inventory and preparation of management plans. The mentioned forestry measures are carried out by the employees of 9 regional forestry services together with the representatives of the branch departments.
In order to facilitate the effective enforcement of the new Forest Code of law, simplify the access to timber resources of the population and the private sector, and develop forestry, 55 "business yards" have been established in the regions of Georgia, and 16 "business yards" will be organized by the end of 2024.
As a result of the forest inventory works, the information has been completely updated for the area of more than 700 thousand ha under the management of the agency, and ten-year forest management plans have been prepared. Currently, forest registration works are being carried out in 6 different municipalities of 4 regions of Georgia (Kvareli, Telavi, Tianeti, Oni, Tsageri, Ozurgeti) on a total area of 265,843 ha, after which forest management plans will be developed for the next 10 years. The agency has developed a targeted three-month program for training qualified young staff for forest inventory work. In 2019-2024, 62 young people with forestry education were trained and employed in forest inventory work.
A long-term forest restoration plan was prepared by the National Forestry Agency, until 2030, forest restoration works will be carried out on an area of 20,000 ha. Until the end of 2024, forest restoration measures will be implemented on an area of 2286 ha in Imereti, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Guria, Racha-Lechkhumi Kvemo Svaneti and Kakheti.
As for the offence statistics, from January to June 2024, a total of 436 facts of illegal harvesting and transportation of timber across the country were detected by the employees of the National Forestry Agency; The volume of resources stored in "business yards" amounted to 355.91 cubic meters.
It is important that photo traps are placed on the entire perimeter of the state forest under the management of the National Forestry Agency. The employees of the National Forestry Agency use drones to patrol, which is an effective way of detecting illegal use of natural resources.
