On August 8–9, 2025, Paide hosted the 13th Opinion Festival, with engaging forest-themed discussions featuring our Centre of Excellence experts.
The Ecosystem Management Team was represented in two discussions by Raul Rosenvald, Research Fellow in Sustainable Forestry at the University of Tartu. Raul took part in debates organised by the Estonian Fund for Nature and the NGO Save Estonia’s Forests, exploring the topics of continuous cover forestry and reducing logging volumes in Estonia’s forests.
Some of Raul’s thought-provoking points:
“Both clear-cutting and continuous-cover forestry mimic natural disturbances. Clear-cutting would be suitable to mimic the frequent wildfires in North American forests. In Estonian forests, wildfires have historically been rare, with the main disturbances being the fall of individual trees, which is why continuous-cover forestry is far more in line with our natural conditions.”
“We need a continuous presence of forests of different ages, because all bird and animal species require diverse habitats.”
Head of the Landscape Biodiversity Group and Professor of Restoration Ecology at the University of Tartu, Aveliina Helm, took part in the Environmental Investment Centre’s panel discussion on the protection and management of future forests.
Watch the recording of the panel here:
Some of Aveliina’s reflections:
“Forests are future-proof when both biodiversity and a variety of management approaches are ensured. Diversity is the mother of resilience.”
“The updated EIC support measures will help forest owners create more species-rich and resilient forests, but the regulations governing commercial forests must support this as well. The Forest Act and forestry regulations should set smaller clear-cut areas, encourage the retention of old trees and deadwood, promote biodiversity-friendly regeneration methods, and foster the creation of mixed-species stands.”
“If commercial forests are diverse and managed sustainably, and our protected forests are well cared for, there will be no need to expand the extent of forest protection areas. The pressure to increase protected areas stems from the poor state of other forests.”
“Beyond timber income, forests offer us mushrooms and berries, silence and peace, water and carbon storage, shelter and refuge, and they are part of our home. These benefits are an indispensable part of Estonia’s well-being and a significant part of our economy—even if they’re harder to measure in euros than cubic metres of felled timber. Landowners and Estonian forests alike would benefit if we could value these assets more highly.”