Belarus has established 18,500 hectares of new forests during the spring planting season, bringing the country close to its annual reforestation target. This was reported by
BelTA, a partner of TV BRICS.
According to Viktor Zvertovsky, Deputy Head of the Forestry Department at the Ministry of Forestry, the majority of forestry restoration activities traditionally take place in spring. He noted that the planned target for 2026 is the creation of forest plantations across nearly 19,000 hectares, with current results already approaching the annual benchmark.
The largest share of new forest plantations was recorded in the Gomel and Mogilev regions, which together accounted for more than half of the total area restored. Public participation also played an important role through the nationwide campaign “Forest! Goodness! Order!”, which attracted over 58,000 volunteers. Their efforts contributed to the creation of more than 3,000 hectares of forest plantations, while additional planting work was carried out across over 2,000 hectares.
The initiative also included environmental improvement measures such as waste collection, clearing of forest areas, and the maintenance of recreation sites. In addition, more than 250 obelisks were restored, while 30 commemorative alleys were established as part of the campaign.
Viktor Zvertovsky added that the forestry season also involves ongoing maintenance of plantations, including the removal of unwanted vegetation and thinning operations. Following the 2026 inventory, supplementary planting was conducted across 25,700 hectares. He emphasised that climate conditions are taken into account when selecting seedlings, including the use of hardwood tree species.