918 million rubles will be allocated for forest restoration in Siberia in 2026.

918 million rubles will be allocated for forest restoration in Siberia in 2026.

    The amount of financing for forest restoration in the Siberian Federal District in 2026 will amount to 918.2 million rubles. Mikhail Karnaukhov, head of the Forestry Department for the Siberian Federal District, told reporters that this amount is twice as high as last year's figures. The doubling of funding reflects the increased government attention to reforestation in regions where logging and timber processing are key sectors of the economy.

Key figures and spending directions

What the money will be used for:

•     - Purchase of forest fire and forestry equipment.
•     - Modernization of forest seed production facilities (nurseries, greenhouses).
•     - Creation of new nurseries.
•     - Purchase of greenhouse complexes for growing planting material with a closed root system.
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The best regions of Siberia for reforestation

    According to Mikhail Karnaukhov, the best results in Siberia on forest restoration show:

1. - Irkutsk region is the traditional leader of logging in Russia, a region with a high anthropogenic load on forests.
2. - Tomsk region is one of the flagships of forestry in Western Siberia.
3. - The Krasnoyarsk Territory is the second largest logging region in the country after the Irkutsk Region.

    These three regions will receive the largest amounts of funding and will become pilot sites for the introduction of new reforestation technologies.

Context: why is Siberia a priority?

    The Siberian Federal District is one of the most forested regions in the world, but at the same time one of the most affected by:

• - Forest fires (hundreds of thousands of hectares burn down annually).
• - Industrial logging (Irkutsk Region and Krasnoyarsk Territory are leaders in timber harvesting in the Russian Federation).
• - Pests (Siberian silkworm, barbels).

    Restoring forests in Siberia is not only an ecological but also an economic task. The region's forests provide raw materials for pulp and paper mills (including Ilim), sawmills, and deep processing plants. Without sustainable reforestation, the raw material base will be depleted, which will affect the industry in the medium term.

Artificial vs natural reforestation

    Of the total reforestation area of 319.5 thousand hectares:

• - Natural (promotion of natural regeneration): 288.2 thousand hectares (90%).
      This is when the forest recovers itself (the testes are left, the soil is mineralized), and the person only helps.
• - Artificial (planting): 31.3 thousand hectares (10%).
      When the forest is planted by hand or forestry equipment (seedlings from nurseries).

    The ratio of 90/10 is typical for Russian forestry. The problem is that in areas with intensive logging (where everything has been cut down), natural regeneration may not occur or may take decades. Artificial reforestation is needed here, and its share is still small.

Technical equipment: from seeds to greenhouses

    A significant portion of the funds (918 million rubles) will be spent on infrastructure and equipment, not just landing.

Priority areas:

• - Forest nurseries: their modernization and construction of new ones.
• - Greenhouse complexes: growing seedlings with a closed root system — they take root better and grow faster.
• - Forest fire fighting equipment: it is impossible to restore forests without protecting them from fires.

    The doubling of funding means that the regions of the Siberian Federal District will need to use these funds to purchase equipment, build nurseries, and hire people. This creates additional jobs and workload for manufacturers of forestry equipment.

Key indicators of the reforestation program in Siberia:

Importance for the timber industry

    For tenants of forest plots and logging companies, increased reforestation has several consequences:

1. - Increased requirements for tenants. The state will be tougher in asking for reforestation in deforestation. If earlier it was possible to "score" on landings, now the control will increase (FGIS LC + budget financing allows you to track).
2. - The emergence of subcontracting opportunities. Timber companies can participate in reforestation operations as contractors, receiving budgetary funds.
3. - Long-term stability of raw materials. Without reforestation, in 20-30 years the reserves of ripe wood in Siberia will begin to decrease. Current investments are a guarantee that there will be a forest in a generation.
4. - An example for other districts. If the funding doubling model proves effective, it can be scaled up to the Far East, the Urals, and the Northwest.
5.  

Risks and challenges

1. Disbursement of funds. Doubling your budget is easy, but it's difficult to spend it effectively. We need to purchase equipment, build nurseries, and grow seedlings. In Siberian conditions (short summers, inaccessible territories) It's not easy.
2. The quality of reforestation. It's not enough to plant a forest — it needs to be grown. Historically, in Russia, the problem is not in planting, but in caring for forest crops (logging maintenance, supplement). Landings die without care.
3. Fires. Planted forest burns down easily during the first fire season. Reforestation without protecting forests from fires is pointless. Part of the funds will be used for forest fire equipment, which is correct.
4. Frames. There is a shortage of qualified personnel in the forestry sector of the Siberian Federal District (foresters, foresters, machine operators). Without people, even the best technology won't help.
5.  

The prospects

    In 2026, the Siberian Federal District will receive record funding for reforestation — 918 million rubles. This is a step towards turning the situation around when there are more logging and fires than landings and maintenance.

    The success of the program will depend on three factors:

•     - The ability of regions to master funds without disruption and misuse.
•     - Weather conditions (drought or fires can destroy plantings).
•     - The quality of care for forest crops in the first years of their life.

    If the program succeeds, Siberia will receive not only restored forests, but also modern forest seed infrastructure, new nurseries and trained personnel. This is the basis for sustainable forest management for decades to come.

Tags: #Siberia #reforestation #financing #Irkutsk region #Krasnoyarsk region #Tomsk region #forest nurseries #Forestry