Brief report for the public according to the results of activities of “Vitebsky leskhoz” State Forestry Management Establishment

A forest is the most important biosphere component. It is called the greatest gift of nature. It plays an important role in preservation of water and land resources, environment improvement. Presently, economical and thrifty use of forest resources, meeting the country’s requirements in wood raw materials and timber along with the simultaneous rational use of forests has essential public importance.

Percentage of forest land in Vitebsk region is equal to 45 % with 38 % for the Republic of Belarus.

The total area of forests in the Vitebsk Forestry Enterprise is equal to 75.0 thousand hectares. The area covered with forests is equal to 65.9 hectares.

More than 86% of the forest fund are occupied by the forests of the first group which predominantly play the nature conservation role; these are forests of water protection zones, green zones of cities, guarding strips along roads, special protected natural territories. Areas of specially protected sections occupy 6.0 thousand hectares (8.0% of the total area).

 Main forest forming breeds are:

- pine – 14.5%;
- spruce – 16.6%;
- birch – 35,4%;
- oak and ash– 2.9%;
- grey alder – 176%;
- black alder – 6.3%;
- aspen – 6.1%.
- other breeds – 0.6%

The forestry enterprise performs the purposeful work for increasing the volumes of seeds picking and growing the materials for planting of trees and bushes for forming the forest crops.

Forest seeding and planting in 2011 was carried out on the area of 178 hectares. Mixed forest crops were formed on the area of 38.0 hectares, i. e. 21% of the total planting area. During the spring of the current year nursery garden sections for seeding were prepared on the area of 0.91 hectares.

Forest crops are provided by using the high-quality standard planting materials. Volumes of planting material growing in the nursery garden of the forestry enterprise make it possible to provide planting of forest crops with high quality and in good time.

Timely and qualitative forest restoration is one of the main conditions of provision of consistency and non-exhaustion principle of forest management, preservation of biological variety of the forest flora and potentials of forests.

The arboretum is cared of in the Losvido pilot forestry which is the object of ecological upbringing of the youth, the rest place for population, it has cultural, enlightening, pilot and production importance.

On the whole, the sanitary state of forests is satisfactory.

Certain work has been fulfilled for introduction of proper order on the land. Forests have been cleaned along roads, around settlements, farming associations, etc. on the area of 561 hectares. 10 existing rest places have been repaired, 100 advertisement boards and 50 turnpikes have been installed. 52 garbage dumps having the volume of 61 cubic metres have been liquidated.

Over 12 months of the year 2011 a forest pathologic study was carried out on the area of 5048 hectares, as well as a forest pathologic monitoring on the area of 750 hectares.

Along with planting of new forests the forestry enterprise carries out lumbering, and timber is the main product of the forestry enterprise.

In 2011 the forestry enterprise logged 64.9 thousand m3 of marketable wood at cuts of intermediate usage and other cuts.

Over 12 months of the year 2011 mastering of the estimated felled area for the main use was fulfilled in the volume of 37.5 thousand m3, i. e. 50.9 % of the annual estimated felled area.

In order to reduce expenditures for reproduction of forests random cuts of the main usage were fulfilled on areas of 17.0 hectares, what makes it possible to retain the existing undergrowth of valuable wood breeds and create new plantations without considerable expenditures for planting.

The stable management of forest resources is the main condition for development of the country’s forest complex, quality and competitiveness improvement at the external market.

Forest certification is one of trends which contributes to productivity and stability of forest stands, improvement of biological variety in forests, minimization of negative impact of the forest production onto environment, enhancement of the forestry export potential, elimination of technical barriers in the international trade.

Priority trends in forestry management for the Vitebsk forestry enterprise included and still will include:

- improvement of forest seeding and nursery garden facilities, selection of wood breeds and retention of forest genetic resources;

- growing of highly productive forests as the basis for providing the requirements of population of various branches of the national economy in timber and other forest products, as well as provision of the favourable environment for human beings.