Donetsk, May 4 - DAN. DPR foresters completed the spring tree-planting in the republic’s war-ravaged forests, DPR State Forestry and Game Committee Chairman Alexey Shebalkov told Donetsk News Agency on Thursday.
“Tree-planting is part of the programme to restore war-damaged forests,” Shebalkov said. “Forestries largely planted acacia and Crimean pine which best fit into Donbass steppes.”
New forests took up to 60 hectares and another 100 hectares of forest will be restored. Amvrosiyevskiy district on the border with Russia had the largest addition of new forests. Deciduous trees like oak, maple and ash tree will be planted in autumn.
Foresters retrieved the planting material from their own seeding nurseries. Their current stock is up to one million seedlings.
Simultaneously, foresters are improving forest fire safety and conducting a forest pathology research to bolster anti-pest defence.
According to DPR authorities, 850 hectares of forest in Donbass fully burnt down in the fires caused by artillery shelling. DPR has more than 50,000 hectares of forests overall. *jk