ME Volynpryrodresurs Transferred its First Reclaimed Area to the Manevychi State Forestry
ME Volynpryrodresurs (VPR) handed over the first recultivated site to the Manevychi State Forestry. The transfer act was signed by ME Volynpryrodresurs director Anatolii Kapustiuk and Manevychi Forestry director Volodymyr Radion on November 26, 2020, at the Vovchetsk Forestry. Despite the upper soil layers having already been depleted by illegal amber diggers, this was the first area taken into development by VPR.
“On this site, 1.7 tonnes of amber were extracted, although the land had already been disturbed by illegal diggers – the topsoil was completely removed. Frankly, all the geologists doubted the feasibility of working in this area, insisting that no amber remained and that further extraction would be unprofitable. Nevertheless, we decided to pass through all the worked-out horizons, reaching depths of 8–10–12 metres, and discovered another deposit layer. To be honest, after the first two weeks, we also began to doubt whether we would find anything. At depths of three to four metres, we were digging up shovels, buckets and jackets – but no amber. Fortunately, there was no access to water on this site, so illegal mining with pumps had not taken place. From the last layer, we finally extracted amber – and what’s more, of large fractions,” said the director of ME Volynpryrodresurs, Anatolii Kapustiuk.
The process of extracting amber inevitably has consequences for the environment. Natural areas face many problems after mining, including landscape degradation, loss of fertile soil and water pollution. Illegal amber diggers act solely in their own interests, disregarding the harm they cause.
Illegal amber mining has destroyed more than 16 hectares of forest land. Illegal digging methods ruined the root systems of trees, and nothing could grow on the disturbed soil – local flora and fauna were severely affected.
However, thanks to ME Volynpryrodresurs, this forest has been given a second life. VPR seeks to demonstrate how legal mining can be carried out without harming the environment. This autumn, VPR began extracting amber legally on this site, and as soon as the mining work was finished, the reclamation work started. The soil layers were returned in their natural order and compacted. The next step was to transfer the worked-over area to the forestry department for biological reclamation – the land was planted with young seedlings. Reclamation involves restoring the landscape and creating conditions for vegetation to recover, as well as preserving water resources and supporting local ecosystems.
“We want to show how this land can be put in order and how to work properly without harming the environment. We extracted the amber that was still left after illegal mining, then we carried out mining-technical reclamation of the site and prepared it for biological recovery – tree planting. All of this was done at our own expense. Moreover, we are additionally covering one year of maintenance for the area,” said Anatolii Kapustiuk.
Thus, VPR not only extracts amber and other minerals, but also actively works to restore ecosystems following mining operations. Reclamation is an important aspect of the enterprise's social responsibility.
