Care for young forest plantations on an area of over 4500 hectares will be carried out in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

      More than 4,500 hectares of forest fund land in the Nizhny Novgorod region will be involved this year in activities aimed at increasing the sustainability, preservation, and productivity of forests. This was reported by the regional Ministry of Forestry. "Regular care for young trees contributes to improving the structure and species composition of plantations, enhancing the quality of future forests, and also helps to preserve and strengthen their beneficial functions and properties. Last year, corresponding activities were implemented over an area of more than 5,100 hectares. Proper organization of forestry work and timely execution of all stages of the forest cultivation cycle allow for the formation of plantations that fully meet the needs of the forest industry and the demands of the population," said Roman Vorobyov, Minister of Forestry and Wildlife Protection of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The department noted that a comprehensive set of activities for the care of young plantations is carried out annually, starting from agronomic and forestry measures at the early stages of plantation development to conducting thinning operations in older age. Over the past five years, the volume of thinning operations—removal of undesirable fast-growing trees and shrubs to ensure optimal growth conditions for plantations—has increased by 13%, which contributes to the formation of forests dominated by valuable timber species. In the spring forest cultivation season, artificial reforestation will be carried out on 2,750 hectares of forest fund land. At the same time, forest cultures will be created on 650 hectares using planting material with a closed root system. This technology has already proven its effectiveness, as it significantly increases the survival rate of young trees and accelerates their growth, which in the long term reduces the time required to form full-fledged forest plantations. Large-scale work is being carried out within the framework of the federal project "Forest Preservation," which is part of the national project "Ecological Well-Being." In 2026, activities for the restoration and preservation of forests will cover more than 14,400 hectares, including artificial reforestation planned for 4,300 hectares. It should be noted that starting in 2025, a national project "Ecological Well-Being" has been implemented in Russia by order of President Vladimir Putin, which addresses tasks previously outlined in the national project "Ecology." The new national project aims to care for the environment and improve its comfort for human life. The national project includes six federal projects: "General Cleanup," "Water of Russia," "Preservation of Biological Diversity and Development of Ecological Tourism," "Forest Preservation," "Circular Economy," and "Clean Air."