According to the figures, over 175 thousand dunams of nature were burned in the Upper Galilee-Golan Heights Region, which sustained most of the damage. Restoration of the damage shall take 5-7 years. "Our main mission for the new year is to grow the regions that were damaged, and the entire State of Israel", promised KKL-JNF Chairwoman, Ifat Ovadia-Luski.
In the Lower Galilee-Gilboa Region, a little over 25 thousand dunam of open and forested areas were burned, according to the KKL-JNF data. In the Western Galilee-Carmel 9,000 dunam have gone up in flames and in the Hula Valley 722.8.
The forests that sustained the greatest damage are Biriya Forest, Baal Shem Tov Forest, Ramot Naftali Forest, Gush Chazon Forest, Golan Heights Forest, the Gilboa Forest, Beit Keshet Forest, Achihud Forest, Segev Forest, Hanita Forest, Matzuva Forest, Tefen Forest and Beit HaEmek Forest.
"KKL-JNF emergency teams alongside firefighting teams continue to lead the fight against fires in the north, even under fire", said KKL-JNF Chairwoman, Ifat Ovadia-Luski. "The war inflicted heavy damage upon residents of the north and unfortunately to the flora and fauna as well. Our mission for the new year is to grow the areas that were damaged, and the entire State of Israel".
The KKL-JNF professionals in the Forestation Department estimate that it will take between five to seven years to restore the damage. The fires hurt a wide variety of animals. The nesting sites of many birds were destroyed. Even habitats of mammals and reptiles that live above ground were burned and a large number of arthropods did not manage to escape the flames.
The damage to flora is extremely severe. All the woodland and forest trees, including coniferous trees such as Pines, Cypresses and Cedars, as well as broad leaf trees such as oaks, terebinths, Cercises, eucalyptuses, carobs and almonds were damaged by the fires. In addition, areas for the public such as camping parks, bird observatories, scenic viewpoints, entry paths to the forests and scenic roots were also burned.