Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro presented the activities of the National Year of Forests Calendar, as declared in 2024. During the public communication with the mayors, which was also attended by the Minister of State and Local Government Arbjan Mazniku, Minister Kumbaro stated that the objectives of the Year of Forests are part of a broad program of activities that foresees more than just planting trees.
In her speech, Minister Kumbaro also addressed the issues of forest management in terms of administration by municipalities, where in 33 municipalities of the country there is no forest management plan. "In these two years of very detailed monitoring that the National Forest Agency and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment have carried out in each of the municipalities, unfortunately, about 8 years from the transfer of forests to municipal administration, about eight years from the transfer of forests to municipal administration, and four years after the entry into force of the Forest Law, it turns out that more than half, that is, 33 municipalities do not have any Forest Management Plan.
Breeding. There are municipalities that, during the entire 8-year period of administering forests, have no expenditure as an investment item in the forest fund. Therefore, the involvement and good coordination at the highest level of all actors from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the National Forest Agency, to the Forest Directorates in municipalities, the Faculty of Forest Sciences, associations, volunteer groups and business representatives is the first step to turn the "Year of the Forests" into a national plan and not to do sporadic planting just to say that we are supporting the Year of the Forests.
"And the most important work here belongs to municipalities not only in defining maps, afforestation, regeneration of forest vegetation, but also in planning management models," said Minister Kumbaro.
On the other hand, Minister Kumbaro also mentioned the encouraging cases of 13 municipalities in the country for investments in the forest fund during 2023, highlighting the model of the municipality of Tirana, the municipalities of Elbasan, Korça, Përrenjas, Kukës, Devolli, Librazhd, Poliçan, Vau e Dejës, Gramshi, Patos.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Local Government, Arbjan Mazniku, stated that in addition to the vital role of forests in the situation in which Albania and the entire globe find themselves today, they are also a source of economy. He also presented the support program for municipalities, which provides solutions to some of the most acute problems related to forest economies. In addition to afforestation activities, the National Calendar of the Year of Forests also includes activities on environmental days, educational activities with schools, projects within the framework of forests, from the establishment of a monitoring system to the provision of fire protection equipment.
