Over 8 million saplings to be planted in spring afforestation campaign

The national afforestation campaign will start on 1 March in Geamăna, Anenii Noi, where saplings will be planted on an area of 30 hectares. The authorities aim to rehabilitate and afforest around 3,500 hectares of land this spring, planting over 8 million saplings in more than 120 locations across the country.

Minister of Environment Sergiu Lazarencu visited Geamăna today and announced the launch of the national spring afforestation campaign. The official urged citizens, central and local public authorities, private sector and civil society to participate in the tree planting actions, which will start on March 1 across the country.


“On March 1, we are launching a large-scale initiative in Geamăna - planting over 30 hectares of forest. This is not just an afforestation action, but a common commitment for a greener future. Village by village, sapling by sapling, we will make Moldova more forested. On March 1, we invite central and local public authorities, private sector, civil society and all citizens who want to contribute to forest protection to come to Geamăna, get involved, and together do a big job and plant forests here, at home, in our country,” Lazarencu said.


At the same time, there will be over 120 other locations available for sapling planting across the country, in all districts, with 3500 hectares of land to be rehabilitated and afforested. Over 8 million saplings will be used for this purpose.

The actions are part of the national program for the expansion and rehabilitation of forests Generation of the Forest, launched at the initiative of head of state Maia Sandu. It plans the planting of 145 thousand hectares of forest over the next 10 years.


“Since the beginning of the national program for the expansion and rehabilitation of forests, we have managed to significantly increase the number of trees planted compared to those cut down during silvicultural works,” he said.


In the first two years since the launch of the program, over 300 million lei have been invested in afforestation activities, including in the purchase of modern equipment and tools, actions that have contributed to the planting of 15 thousand hectares of forest by planting 65 million saplings.

Moldsilva director-general Victor Durbală said that this year the first forests created under the Program will be handed back to local councils.

Durbală announced that over 41 million forest saplings are planned to be grown in the territorial silvicultural entities under the agency, so there will be sufficient planting material for afforestation campaigns.

Currently, the afforestation rate in the Republic of Moldova is only 11%, while the European Union average exceeds 35%.