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October 12- Forestry Day to celebrate at the National Botanical Garden
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili congratulated foresters on their professional day, awarded honorable ones with the certificates of appreciation and delivered symbolic gifts for their successful work. At the meeting, the Minister has been focused on the legislative and institutional reforms implemented in the forestry sector in recent years.
“Today, we have awarded foresters with the certificates of appreciation and delivered symbolic gifts to them for the difficult and risky activities they carry out 24 hours a day. I would like to point out, that the forest, which is a unique natural resource of our country needs a special protection. Therefore, since 2013, at the initiative of the Government of Georgia, institutional and legislative reforms of the forestry sector have been initiated, the national forestry concept has been adopted and a new Forest Code has been developed.
The reform aims to establish a sustainable forest management system in the country, which will improve the quantitative and qualitative indicators of forests in Georgia, protect biodiversity, furthermore, considering ecological values of forests, the economic potential will be effectivele used.” said Levan Davitashvili.
The Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Yuri Nozadze thanked foresters for their contribution to the development of the forestry sector.
"The sustainable management of forest resources will enable to achieve economic goals and efficiency - this is our task, our goal and we will jointly achieve it’’ Yuri Nozadze said.
The Head of the National Forestry Agency, Archil Nikoleishvili addressed the participants and awarded honorable foresters and (GIZ) program " Integrated Biodiversity Management in South Caucasus’’ Director, Benedikt Ibele, Program Officer, Hans Joachim Lipp, also, Advisers to the Heads of the Program, Gia Kolbin and Maka Katsitadze for their contribution in increasing awareness and knowledge in the forestry field. Archil Nikoleishvili provided symbolic gifts and expressed gratitude for permanent partnership and support to Georgia’s forestry sector.
“High professionalism, love for the job, sense of responsibility and self-sacrifice have always been the main characteristics or features of the people engaged in the forestry field. We must always remember our staff, those foresters, forest guards and rangers who have sacrificed their life in the fulfillment of their professional duties in the recent past. I hope we will not have these cases anymore and I believe, that profession and activity of the forestry will become more and more important and appreciated. I believe we can do it all together, ”said Archil Nikoleishvili.
Under the initiative of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the prize for young scientist and forester was established for the first time this year. Three students from different universities participating in forestry activities were awarded with ‘’Sandro Urushadze Prize – 2019’’. Sandro Urushadze was a young scientist and forester who died at the young age.
The forestry specialists from Kachreti and Akhaltsikhe Vocational Schools and foresters and taxators engaged in the forest inventory works and trained by the National Forestry Agency attended the event. The head of the National Forestry Agency, Archil Nikoleishvili thanked the celebrities - actors, athletes and journalists for their active involvement in the information campaigns for raising public awareness in the forestry field.