A new agreement on the Land Reclamation Forest project was signed on Monday, February 11. The agreement ensures the governments continued support for the project, whose aim is to re-establish forest and vegetation cover on sparsely vegetated land, in order to reclaim ecosystems, increase biological diversity and provide recreation opportunities for the general population.
Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, the Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources and Jónatan Garðarsson, Chairman of the Icelandic Forestry Association, signed the agreement, along with Árni Bragason, the director of the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland and Aðalsteinn Sigurgeirsson, on behalf of the Iceland Forest Service, but the Soil Conservation Service and Forest Service will provide technical supervision of the project.
The Land Reclamation Forests project was launched in 1990, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Icelandic Forestry Association, as a collaboration of the forestry associations in Iceland, the Iceland Forest Service, the Soil Conservation Service and the Ministry of Agriculture.
The new agreement is in effect for the next five years and stipulates an annual contribution of 45-55 million ISK per year, or a total of 260 million ISK over the five years.
From left: Jónatan Garðarsson, Chairman of the Icelandic Forestry Association, Aðalsteinn Sigurgeirsson, of the Iceland Forest Service, Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources and Árni Bragason, director of the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland, at the signing (Photo: BJ).
