The EIC and the Private Forest Centre continue to allocate environmental grants together

Image: Tõnn Tuvikene

The Estonian Private Forest Centre and the Environmental Investment Centre merged on 1 January 2023. The name of the merged organisation is the Environmental Investment Centre (EIC). After the merger, the Private Forest Centre became the EIC Forestry Department.

‘The addition of forestry to EIC’s matters will certainly create greater opportunities for the development of private forestry and for finding the necessary solutions in the environmental field as a whole,’ explains Andrus Treier, Chief Executive Officer of the EIC. ‘We are also stronger as a collective, as people with different experiences and knowledge can contribute to the development of the field. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the smooth merger and welcome my new colleagues at the EIC!’

Gunnar Reinapu, Head of the EIC Forestry Department, says that the Forestry Department will continue its current work in developing private forestry and allocating forestry grants from both national and European Union funds. ‘For forest owners and forest cooperatives, nothing will change after the merger. Collaboration always creates new opportunities, and together with our new colleagues, we will continue the work to ensure that private forest owners can continue to look after their forests wisely.’

All contact persons for private forestry grants are the same in the EIC as they were in the Private Forest Centre. Phone numbers will also not change. The legal address of the EIC, including the new Forestry Department, is Narva mnt 7a, Tallinn. Andrus Treier will continue as Member of the Management Board at the EIC. Member of the Management Board of the Private Forestry Centre Gunnar Reinapu became Head of the EIC Forestry Department. A total of 83 people are employed in the newly merged organisation.

All the information a forest owner needs can still be found from the EIC Private Forest Portal www.eramets.ee.