Daily: Environment minister Kallas wants to reduce logging in state forests

Minister of the Environment Madis Kallas (SDE) has proposed to the government a 10 percent reduction in state forest logging, daily Postimees reports.
The minister said that of the three alternatives given by the State Forest Management Center (RMK) and the Environment Agency (KAUR), he will submit to the government a plan for the regeneration cutting of 9,180 hectares of state forest, Postimees writes (link in Estonian).
The former Minister of the Environment Tõnis Mölder (Center) reduced the forest renewal area for 2022 to 9,879.7 hectares, while his successor Erki Savisaar (Center) increased it to 12,208.8 hectares.
Madis Kallas, Savisaar's successor, said that the connection between logging and employment was not as direct as the industry association opposing a reduction in logging had claimed, but that there were plans to discuss this issue with businesses.
It will be necessary, Kallas said, to reduce logging in all forests, but especially in pine forests.
Mid-September, the minister said that he had no intentions to reduce logging.
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Editor: Kristina Kersa