Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine Helps Plant Coniferous Forest
Coal miners participated in a large-scale planting in the Izhmorsky District dedicated to the 300th anniversary of Kuzbass and World Forest Planting Day
This year, Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine will plant coniferous trees on an area encompassing 267.2 hectares in Myskovsky Urban District, as well as Izhmorsky Municipal District. On May 14, Kemerovo Region’s Forestry Department organized a mass planting with the help of coal miners in Izhmorsky District near the village of Kolyon. Representatives of four coal companies took part, including employees from Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine.
About one million common spruce seedlings brought from a nursery in Altai Region will be planted in a coniferous forest occupying some 300 hectares.
Kemerovo Region’s Deputy Governor for Industry, Transport, and Ecology, Andrey Panov, also took part in the campaign. “Today is a wonderful day, and I am glad that not only foresters who are here to do their jobs have arrived, but also groups from industrial enterprises. Together, we will plant a real forest that will delight us for many years to come! And I hope the coal miners will support this good tradition, and that we will meet regularly for such events.”
A special narrow steel shovel dubbed ‘Kolesov’s sword’ was used to speed up and ease the planting process. A special planting machine was also deployed.
Konstantin Kirshin, Deputy Head of Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine’s technical facilities, shared his impressions: “I was born and grew up in Kuzbass, in the town of Myski, near my place of employment. We have very beautiful scenery in this region, a lot of trees, but I want to have even more birches, pines, and fir trees, so I was very happy to take part in today’s planting. I planted more than 50 seedlings with my own hands. It’s great that Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine gives you opportunities to take part in events like these – you feel that you’ve joined something important and good.”
Compensatory reforestation is a new part of the region’s environmental policy, which is set out in Decree № 204 signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 7, 2018, as well as in the national Ecology Project. Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine launched its compensatory reforestation program in 2020. Coniferous seedlings were planted on an area of 60 hectares in the Izhmorsky Municipal District.