What is RMK

RMK's task is to preserve and increase the richness of Estonia: our forests

Estonia is one of the countries rich in forests - almost half of Estonian land or 2,2 million hectares are covered with forest. Nearly half (40%) of Estonian forests belong to the Estonian state. RMK preserves and manages these forests.

RMK is a rather young institution that was established on         1 January 1999.  Still, in the course of forest reforms that were carried out in the 1990ies, a number of events preceded the establishment of RMK that in terms of the RMK history are relevant.

A short chronology of the RMK establishment is given below.

In 1990, the National Forestry Board is established.  The agency of the former Ministry of Forestry and Nature Conservation - the Economic Research Laboratory is renamed as the Forest Economics and Information Centre.

On 1 March 1992, the forest industry is separated from the state forest management for the administration of which the state forest land departments, forest districts, state hunting districts, forest schools, Sagadi Training Centre and Räpina Forestry School as well as the Forest Economics and Information Centre are merged under the jurisdiction of the National Forestry Board.

In 1993, the state forest land departments are substituted by 15 county forest boards.

In 1997, the county forest boards and the Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture remain under the jurisdiction of the National Forestry Board.  Other agencies are merged with the Forest Economics and Information Centre.

On 1 January 1997, 8 regional departments of the Forest Economics and Information Centre are formed on the basis of the directive of the Director General of the National Forestry Board.

On 4 March 1997, the National Forestry Board Director General directive assigned the Forest Economics and Information Centre the task of organizing the activities of forest districts, forest schools, state hunting districts and training centres.

On 13 March 1997, the financial accounting of the Forest Economics and Information Centre, regional departments, forest districts, hunting districts, forest schools and training centres is made compatible and the financing will take place on the basis of an integrated group account.

On 15 March 1997, the hunting and recreation department of the Forest Economics and Information Centre is established.

On 11 June 1997, the target of separating state supervision and forest management is formulated in the Estonian forest policy.

On 17 November 1997, the new structure and the staff of the Forest Economics and Information Centre are approved.

On 9 December 1998, the Riigikogu approves the new Forest Act that prescribes the management of state forest by the State Forest Management Board.

On 23 December 1998, the President proclaims the Forest Act.

On 1 January 1999, the State Forest Management Board commences activities within the area of government of the Ministry of the Environment as the legal successor of former state forest districts, forest schools, training centres, hunting districts and the Forest Economics and Information Centre.

RMK is a governmental profit-making institution, the one and only institution of such type in Estonia. Governmental profit-making institution means that on the one hand, RMK has to earn income for the state by logging and selling wood material. On the other hand, RMK has tasks that do not bring direct economic income, but that are useful for all of us: maintaining the unique forest nature, nature friendly forest works, creation of free recreation possibilities.