A record 8,700 Christmas trees were brought home from the state forest 03.01
Over the past holiday, 8,700 Christmas trees were brought home from the state forest, which is 1,100 more than the year before.
“The trek to acquire a Christmas tree has become a tradition in many families, one that is not given up even when there is no snow on the ground,” said Toomas Väät, Silviculture Head Specialist of RMK. “The increase in interest was likely due to the RMK mobile app, which received lots of positive feedback from users.” The mobile app allowed one to quickly find a state forest, identify one’s location, and pay for the Christmas tree. Mobile payment was used to pay for 70% of the trees.
As in previous years there have been cases where people have not followed the terms set by the forest owner when felling a Christmas tree, this Christmas the employees of the Environmental Inspectorate conducted an increased number of inspection visits along with RMK and the police. This time, they detected no violations in the state forest.
As an act of charity, 80 Christmas trees also made it to Estonian children’s homes with the help of RMK. Over the past holiday, more than 7,600 Christmas trees were brought home from the state forest.
RMK offers people the opportunity to bring home a Christmas tree from the state forest, mainly in order to strengthen people’s connection with nature and old Estonian traditions. Christmas trees may be cut down only where they stand no chance of growing to maturity: along the edges of roads and ditches, under overhead power lines and under old forest.
RMK is a profit-making state agency established under the Forestry Act, aimed at the sustainable and efficient management of the state forest. RMK grows reforestation materials, organises forestry works, and is engaged in the sale of forest and timber and the upkeep of wild animals. Additionally, RMK establishes opportunities for nature walking and forest holidays in recreation areas, in Estonia’s five national parks and almost 40 other protected areas, and shapes nature awareness. RMK manages 38% of Estonia’s forests.
Further information:
Toomas Väät
Silviculture Head Specialist of RMK
Telephone 520 5734
e-mail: toomas.vaat@rmk.ee
