Activity areas

The objective of forest management is to manage the state forest sustainably and efficiently under the care of RMK.

Forest management includes:

• Forest Management Department
• Forestry Management Regions
• Silviculture Division
• Forest Administration and Remote Sensing Department
• Forest Infrastructure Department
• Wood Energy Division

The Forest Management Department develops the principles of forest management and coordinates the work of the units in the field of forest management. The department also develops forest management IT applications.

Forest management regions are engaged in timber harvesting and roundwood logistics. There are three regions: Southwest, Southeast, and Northeast. Each region is divided into four stocking areas.

The region also includes forest managers and inclusion specialists. The region’s forest managers are the first point of contact at the local level. Inclusion specialists in the region talk to locals about management works in nearby forests.

The Silviculture Division is responsible for cultivating the young forests under RMK’s care. This includes planting and maintaining the forest, as well as conducting selective thinning to ensure that the best pole stands develop in each area over a period of 15 years.

The Silviculture Division includes the Plant and Seed Management Department, whose employees grow high-quality forest plants that renew the state forest. Our task is also to ensure the necessary supply of forest seeds for Estonia as a whole.

During the inventory, the employees of the Forest Administration and Remote Sensing Department regularly collect data on the location, condition, and stock of the forests entrusted to RMK. In this way, RMK’s other areas of activity can be planned based on reliable and up-to-date data.

All of RMK’s forest managers are trained experts in key habitats and can identify species and habitats requiring protection in nature.

The Forest Infrastructure Department is engaged in the maintenance and renewal of RMK’s forest infrastructure. We have a good overview of the state of RMK’s forest roads and forest drainage systems. If roads or drainage systems need to be maintained, built, reconstructed or upgraded, the department’s specialists prepare the projects and perform the necessary work. In the case of activities involving a higher environmental impact, the department prepares environmental impact analyses and commissions expert assessments.

The Wood Energy Division organises the production of wood chips from energy timber and its transport to customers.

Most of the silviculture and logging works, the transport of all roundwood and wood chips and the chopping of energy wood, as well as all forest improvement and nature conservation works, are carried out for RMK by partner companies. As a result, small businesses in Estonia earn approximately 100 million euros annually.

As the largest performer of nature conservation activities and manager of nature conservation areas in Estonia, RMK holds significant responsibility for preserving natural diversity. We strive to make sure that opportunities created for people interacting with nature remain within the carrying capacity limits of the natural environment and that the essential principles governing the preservation of biodiversity are followed in both protected and managed forests.

The Nature Management includes:

• Visitor Management Department
• Nature Conservation Department
• Põlula Fish Rearing Centre
• Game Management Division

The Visitor Management Department provides a variety of opportunities for nature recreation and offers nature education.

We provide opportunities to explore nature in 13 recreation areas, six national parks, and numerous protected areas. We have developed hiking trails, campfire sites, and camping areas for visitors. People can enjoy forest huts and houses and a long multi-branch hiking trail passing through Estonia.

Information about exploring nature is shared at information points and visitor centres throughout the country. We also provide engaging programs and hands-on activities for children, young people, and adults.

The Visitor Management Department also includes Sagadi Manor, the Nature School, the Forest and Manor Museum, and Elistvere Animal Park.

Our Nature Conservation Department specialists develop and implement strategies to restore endangered habitats or improve ones in poor condition, as well as enhance habitats for specific protected species, such as the flying squirrel, capercaillie, natterjack toad, or particular varieties of orchids.

Restoring mires and subsequently reviving semi-natural biotic communities, such as heritage meadows, is our top priority in nature conservation. We offer the use of restored meadows and pastures to entrepreneurs, allowing them to maintain biodiversity through activities like haymaking or animal grazing.

The Nature Conservation Department also organises the demolition of dams that hinder the movement of fish on rivers and the repairing of spawning grounds while also maintaining parks and individual nature conservation sites. We perform a lot of necessary nature conservation work with the help of external funding.

The Põlula Fish Rearing Centre, which has been part of RMK since 2014, restores Estonia’s fish stocks. We raise and release endangered salmon and whitefish and protected Baltic Sea sturgeon juveniles into the rivers. We nurture the only freshwater pearl mussel population in Estonia, which is in danger of extinction.

The Game Management Division manages RMK’s three hunting districts and organises public auctions for hunting permits each year.

The Key Services activity area is essential for RMK’s long-term development. Professionally managed services help other RMK’s activity areas function seamlessly.

The Key Services activity area includes:

• Information Technology Department
• Information Technology Administration Department
• Quality and Information Management Department
• Finance Department
• Personnel Department
• Real Estate Department
• Legal and Procurement Department

The task of the Information Technology Departments is to keep the digital services and systems necessary for RMK’s main activity running smoothly and to ensure information security. The Information Technology Administration Department ensures that RMK’s employees are provided with the necessary technical tools and solutions to perform their daily work. The Information Technology Development Department takes care of digital innovations.

The Quality and Information Management Department ensures that RMK’s processes meet both the requirements of the management and the forest management standards. The department is also responsible for general RMK document management and personal data protection processes and coordinates the functioning of the working environment and occupational safety system.

The Finance Department makes sure that RMK’s finances are in order. The department coordinates the preparation of RMK’s budget and monitors compliance with it, as well as organises the organisation’s accounting. The employees of the Finance Department also help to make long-term plans and forecasts for RMK, assess the profitability of new developments, and prepare more significant investments.

The Personnel Department has the mission to provide RMK’s employees with the best employee experience. Competent managers are essential in this regard, creating an environment that is supportive of employees and fosters their commitment. The Personnel Department supports the organisation by recruiting professionals who share RMK’s values, developing existing employees and raising their level of commitment while also ensuring a proper employment relationship and fair remuneration.

The Real Estate Department is engaged in the development and management of RMK’s real estate and the transferring and granting of use of state land. The department also takes care of RMK’s vehicle fleet.

The Legal and Procurement Department advises the organisation on public procurement procedures, procurement law, and procurement contracts, as well as providing support to colleagues in all areas of law and law-making. The department ensures the legality of RMK’s transactions, high-quality procurement procedures and contracts and represents RMK in court and out-of-court disputes.

The task of the Timber Sales Department is to sell the timber cut from RMK’s forests under the best conditions. We sell most of our timber on the basis of long-term contracts, which we conclude only with companies that enhance the value of timber in Estonia. Sustainable forest management certificates (FSC, PEFC) guarantee the sales opportunities of timber products in different markets.

The department is responsible for all activities related to the management of business relations and the fulfilment of customer needs, covering the entire timber supply chain from the moment the timber load reaches the buyer’s warehouse to the transfer of ownership of the goods to the customer.

The goal of the Timber Sales Department is to conduct continuous and systematic control measurements of the timber sold. Our employees act as an internal control, measuring the timber from RMK’s possession to the buyer’s possession, mainly on the way to or at the customers’ premises and, if necessary, in intermediate log yards, ports, and timber terminals.

We sell both sawn timber and firewood to private persons. It is possible to buy the right to carry out sanitary cutting in an RMK forest or to collect slash from a cutting area.