219 million saplings were planted in Denizli in 20 years

​​According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Regional Directorate of Forestry teams in Denizli, which is among the 10 richest provinces with a forest area of ​​588 thousand 672 hectares, continue their protection, maintenance and fire fighting activities uninterruptedly.

In addition to making existing forests resistant to fire, the teams focus on re-greening lands degraded for various reasons and are preparing for the summer season, when the risk of fire increases.

Acıpayam Forest Operations Manager Cihan Türkmen, who made a statement in Kelekçi District Olukbaşı location, where forest rejuvenation works are continuing, said that approximately 219 million saplings have been planted in the city in the last 20 years.

Stating that within the framework of the plans, young saplings were distributed instead of old trees that had aged and stopped developing, thus increasing the carbon dioxide binding and oxygen production capacity of the forests, Türkmen stated that the cut down old trees contributed to the forest villagers and the country’s economy.

Stating that the seeds planted in the field started to sprout after 1 year, Türkmen said: “The field seen behind us was worked on within the scope of rejuvenation work in 2016, germination was achieved in 2017, and is an area with approximately 7-year-old saplings. Similar rejuvenation efforts are carried out within the Denizli Forest Regional Directorate and Acıpayam Forest Enterprise Directorate.” Our areas are abundant. Of course, rejuvenation is not possible at once. A maximum of 25 hectares of land can be entered each year. In these areas, while old individuals are primarily removed from the area, seeds are planted in the area and the rejuvenation period is completed by laying branches on these seeds to preserve the moisture and humidity of the planted seeds. “

Emphasizing that the rejuvenated areas are kept under constant maintenance and control, Türkmen stated that similar works are carried out in areas where there are no trees.

Stating that efforts are continuing to reforest the lands damaged in fires, Türkmen noted that 4 million 415 thousand saplings were planted in 2 thousand 323 hectares of forest area damaged by 342 fires in the city in the last 10 years.

Pointing out that the saplings that meet the soil grow over the years and that they look at the re-greening forests with pride and love, Türkmen added that they do this job with love, beyond being a source of income.