16.05.2008 - On information day, working possibilities in private forestry were presented 05.10

On Thursday, 15 May, the State Forest Management Centre (RMK) did organise in their head office an information day on working possibilities in private forestry, offered to employees dismissed from RMK in the course of restructuring.

“The people who have received good training and field training in the State forest, must be offered the possibility of continuing to work,” said Andres Onemar, the development director of RMK and the chairman of the supervisory board of the Foundation Private Forest Centre.

The state is continuing to increase its support of private forestry and offering good forestry specialists several working possibilities. Specific positions were presented by member of the management board of the Foundation Private Forest Centre Jaanus Aun.

In the near future, the Estonian Private Forest Union will employ in their office a project specialist whose place of work will be in Tallinn. Beginning in June, the Private Forest Centre will need three regional inspecting specialists to work on subsidiaries for private forest owners and commence work in the regions of Hiiu-Saare, Lääne-Rapla-Harju and Pärnu-Rapla-Järva-Viljandi. The work of the regional inspecting specialists will be performed under authorisation agreements. The Private Forest Centre also needs a specialist for their inspecting unit.

In June, in the Centre for Environmental Investments, the financing of a new project aimed at activating the work of an agricultural adviser-forester with a view to organising the wide-ranging management of private forest will be decided upon. Supposedly ten full-time workers will be employed for the project. The project will last for 18 months, and during this period sustainable processes of private forestry management, enabling participants in the projects to continue their work once the project has ended, should be launched.

According to Jaanus Aun, cooperative societies and partnerships of private forest owners operate in each county, and experienced forestry specialists could provide advisory services to private forest owners as agricultural advisers. The work of an agricultural adviser requires professional competence and completion of courses on consulting methodology which will end with an exam. The courses, which are supported by the Private Forest Centre, are likely to take place towards the end of summer and the agricultural adviser’s exam may be taken in the autumn.

An agricultural adviser is a self-employed person whose advisory services are supported by the Private Forest Centre with EEK 300 per consulting hour, and who will receive key money in the amount of EEK 3000 per month. One may apply to the Private Forest Centre for support of up to EEK 4500 per private forest owner per year, with a view to providing advisory services. In Estonia, there are an estimated 60 000 private forest owners of which approximately 2000 have gathered into associations.

Additional information:
Jaanus Aun
Member of the Management Board of the Foundation Private Forest Centre
Telephone +372 652 5333
E-mail: jaanus.aun@eramets.ee
www.eramets.ee/keskus

Andres Onemar
Development director of RMK
Telephone +372 504 4331
E-mail: andres.onemarrmk.ee 
www.rmk.ee/en