Polyus has committed to planting over 4 million new trees in the Krasnoyarsk and Magadan regions and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as part of its ongoing commitment to reforestation projects. The selected forests cover a total of 1,593.4 hectares.
The areas have all been affected by wildfires, which destroyed a vast number of trees and forests. The initiative began in Spring 2021, with almost 2 million young Siberian pines planted in the Boguchansky District, Krasnoyarsk Region. This is the latest initiative the Company has been involved in as part of the partnership between Polyus Krasnoyarsk and Boguchansky Forestry.
Experts began developing the project by preparing the soil and seeding the areas, and the results are already bearing fruit.
Vadim Plyakin, Legal Director at Polyus Krasnoyarsk, commented,«Biodiversity conservation in the areas we operate in is a priority for Polyus. Next year, we will continue planting seedlings using root-balled tree systems instead of regular seeds».
In 2021, Polyus Magadan planted over 315,000 Siberian larch seedlings across 232.2 hectares of the Detrinksy Forest, worth a total of RUB 70 million. The seedlings were planted by the Vaninsky Forest Center, Polyus contractor, who cultivate seedlings in their nursery forest using unique Finnish technology.
Andrey Danilshin, Head of Real Estate Properties Department at Polyus Magadan, commented,«Polyus Magadan recognizes the need for reforestation following the wildfires experienced in the region and in order to mitigate the effects of climate change. Next year, we plan to reforest over 1,390 hectares».
The Taiga forest in Yakutia was badly affected by the wildfires, leading Polyus Aldan to plant more than 1.5 million young pine trees there, a considerable challenge due to the lack of nursery forests and contractors in the area.
Polyus Aldan selected a site in Naldy, the Neryungry District, for planting after the 2008 wildfires. Damage was extensive and vegetation has been unable to grow for over 13 years. Since then, Polyus Aldan has been committed to reforestation and has already planted trees occupying an area of 781 hectares. The survival rate for the seedlings is expected to lead to higher rates of growth, and is currently expected to be above 85%. The Company intends to achieve this goal in 2027, when its reforestation projects will be complete. The sites will be recognizable as forests, with pine trees growing so quickly that within five years the land will be covered by trees, the first to be planted in the severe weather conditions of Yakutia.