Reforestation Plan carried out in fire-affected Areas in Tartous

The Agriculture Directorate in Tartous Governorate has begun implementing the  adopted reforestation plan  for this year, which targets areas that have been exposed to fires. 

Agronomist  Hassan Nassif, Head of the Forestry Department at   Agriculture Directorate in Tartous told SANA that reforestation plan  began in various regions of the governorate, including Mashta al-Hilu and Sheikh Badr with the participation of a number of government bodies  and NGOs in the governorate with the aim of rebuilding and preserving the vegetation cover. 

He  pointed  out that new kinds  were introduced this year, such as fruit forest trees and alpine trees, due to the great benefits they enjoy in addition to the well-known varieties such as pine, laurel and carob. 

 Agronomist Nassif  indicated  that reforestation plan actually begins from the beginning of November of each year until the end of March of the following year, although this process continues throughout the year  depending  on the needs and nature of each region.  

He  noted  that the concerned authorities are carrying out the necessary technical study for the sites that have been exposed to  fires this year in terms of the level of automatic renewal in them and the natural origins, along with studying the reality of the areas that have been industrially afforested in order to rehabilitate and reclaim them, pointing out  that the area in which a fire erupts , needs about a year  to be reforested again. 

It is noteworthy that many forest sites in  Tartous  governorate were exposed to fires this year, and the Directorate has begun rehabilitation works in preparation for reforestation at a later time. 

Rawaa Ghanam