Minister of Agriculture Gudni Ágústsson and Minister of Finance Árni M. Mathiesen signed an agreement with the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland (SCS) and the Iceland Forest Service on Friday regarding the project Hekla Forests.
The government agreed to support the project by ISK 500 million (USD 7.8 million, EUR 5.8 million) for ten years, as reported in a press release issued by SCS.
With the project Hekla Forests, (Hekluskógar in Icelandic), trees will be planted around the volcano Hekla in south Iceland, thus slowing desertification in the area.
The group’s main objective is to restore the birch forests which once surrounded the volcanic ridge, which will help to minimize damage to the environment in case of a volcanic eruption.
Additionally the Hekla Forests would help reducing CO2 in the atmosphere, increase the value of the land and create new possibilities for tourism.
Click here to read more about Hekla Forests.
