Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine Plants 260,000 Trees on Forest Lands in 2024

Thanks to the Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine, forest lands in the Novokuznetsk and Myskovsky municipal districts have been replenished with 260,000 new trees in 2024. One-year-old Siberian spruce seedlings have been planted on 84.5 hectares that had been afflicted by human activities and man-made accidents, such as mass logging and forest fires. The planting was carried out as part of compensatory reforestation.

The Siberian spruce trees are cultivated specifically for compensatory reforestation from seeds in greenhouses for a period of one year. This species of coniferous trees grows well even in harsh continental climates. According to scientific data, Siberian spruce seedlings boast a survival rate of 85-90%.

According to Maxim Yeremchenko, director of the Novokuznetsk State Forestry Service, coal miners are doing extensive work to protect the environment:

“The Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine engages in ‘greening’ the Kemerovo Region every year. Each Siberian spruce seedling can grow up to 50 meters in height. The dense needles of these trees secrete phytoncides that purify the air by removing harmful microorganisms. In five to ten years, a dense, rich forest will appear in the place where these tiny trees have been planted.”

The Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine first carried out compensatory reforestation plantings in 2020 and has planted some 300,000 coniferous seedlings in Kuzbass since then. In just the last 5 years, more than 1.5 million trees have appeared in the region due to the efforts of the coal mining company.

Compensatory reforestation is part of the Regions’ environmental policy provided for by the national ‘Ecology’ project. According to the Forest Code of the Russian Federation, enterprises engaged in industrial activities are obliged to ensure reforestation on an area equal to the area of forest lands that they have exploited for business.