The minister stressed the importance of stability in forestry operations for both economic and environmental objectives, while ensuring forests continue to serve as vital carbon sinks.

Alender said: "Annual changes in logging volumes create uncertainty in the business environment and prevent the RMK from implementing long-term plans for sustainable forest management, increasing biodiversity, and fulfilling other objectives expected by the state and society."

"Long-term predetermined logging volumes must also ensure that forests serve as carbon sinks and that forest-stored carbon reserves increase. Predictability and stability are the foundation for both the development of this important industry and the preservation of forests that are critical for us all."

The RMK's management strategy focuses on generating revenue for the state while meeting environmental and public obligations, contributing €88.7 million in 2023 and expecting €119.6 million in dividends for 2024.

The Ministry of Climate set an optimal 9,180 hectares for regeneration logging to balance conservation, public use, and economic goals, with RMK working to secure wood resources for local high-value timber production.

The Ministry of Climate aims to ensure environmental sustainability while providing stability by setting annual logging volumes for a five-year period, with a proposed amendment to extend this for longer terms.

The RMK must assess regeneration logging volumes against its forecasts, while the Environmental Agency (Keskonnaagentuur) evaluates compliance, ensuring alignment with national environmental and economic goals.

Alender added: "Predictability and stability are the foundation for both the development of this important industry and the preservation of forests that are critical for us all."

The RMK's operating profits, which were directed to the state, amounted to €88 million in 2023.

Approximately 50 percent of Estonia's land is forested, with half of that managed by the RMK, which plays a central role in balancing environmental conservation and economic returns. Estonia's forests also hold cultural significance, which contrasts with less forested nations in Western Europe.

However, forestry practices, particularly clear-cutting versus selective felling, often spark political debate, with environmental concerns about the impact on biodiversity.

In late 2022, Madis Kallas, one of Alender's predecessors, failed to pass a proposal to reduce RMK's annual renewal felling volumes, though the reduced quota of 9,180 hectares for the next five years became standard.

Meanwhile, Estonia is facing challenges in meeting its EU Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) targets for 2021-2025, potentially resulting in costs of hundreds of millions of euros.

The Ministry of Climate, formed in 2023, now oversees forest management, a responsibility previously held by the Environment Ministry.

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