Some 300 pieces of land have found new tenants who will start taking care of the semi-natural ecological communities 24.05
Most semi-natural ecological communities that need restoration and management found new tenants to take care of them at RMK’s three auctions that took place this spring.
285 pieces of land or 2032 hectares, most of which were meadows, coastal meadows and alvar grasslands, found new tenants. These will now be used to herd animals, grow hay or both depending on the conditions of the land.
1771 hectares of land have found a new caretaker, which amounts to 87% of the land up for auction, 180 pieces altogether. 79 different individuals applies as caretakers for these lands, 56 of whom were chosen as the best candidates, 38 of whom were old tenants and 18 new.285 pieces of land or 2032 hectares, most of which were meadows, coastal meadows and alvar grasslands, found new tenants. These will now be used to herd animals, grow hay or both depending on the conditions of the land.
“Most of the land that we gave into use was located in Tartumaa; 655 hectares, followed by Saaremaa with 329 hectares and Harjumaa with 248 hectares,” concluded Saima Uusma, RMK’s Land Lease Contract Specialist.
The smallest piece of land leased out was 0.07 hectares and is located in Hiiumaa, on Kassari land protection area and the largest a 177 hectare meadow in Tartumaa’s Alam-Pedja land protection area. The most wanted piece of land was one located both on Sõmeri and Liia islands; this piece received seven offers.
The average rent cost for the land was 14 euros per hectare. The highest price was offered for wooded meadows, on average 96 euros per hectare. Pärnumaa Nedrema’s wooded meadows – 22 and 6 hectares in size – got offers as high as 139 euros per hectare. These were followed by coastal meadows with 28 euros per hectare and dry meadows with lime-rich soil with 22 euros per hectare. Tenants who fulfil their tenant requirements are able to apply for funding from ARIB.
Not all pieces of land on auction found a new owner; according to Uusma, the smaller pieces of land that are difficult to maintain and access that were less popular.
All caretakers are invited to show their interest for available semi-natural ecological communities on the dedicated app found on the RMK’s website. New auctions for semi-natural ecological communities will be held by RMK in the coming spring.
There are more than 33,700 hectares of semi-natural ecosystems on RMK lands, 25,580 of which have been transferred to entrepreneurs for maintenance.
The renewal of semi-natural ecosystems and subsequent hay collection and grazing is necessary to avoid the destruction of eco-diversity in these systems. Semi-natural ecosystems are representations of long Estonian farming traditions, while also having a large natural value as a living space for plants, animals and birds. Wooded meadows are very diverse biomes; for example Laelatu wooded meadow housed 76 species of plants on one square meter of land.
RMK and partners restored over 500 hectares of semi-natural habitats and close to 6000 hectares of bog habitats in the past year. The State Forest Management Centre (RMK) is the largest nature conservation operator in Estonia.
Further information:
Saima Uusma
RMK’s Land Lease Contract Specialist
saima.uusma@rmk.ee
+372 509 9538
