In Zakarpattia, the prosecutor's office demands in court to oblige "Forests of Ukraine" to establish protected status for 527 hectares of primeval forests
Kyiv • UNN
Zakarpattia prosecutors have appealed to the court with a demand to oblige the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" to grant protected status to 527 hectares of primeval forests, which constitute a unique natural heritage of the Carpathians.
Prosecutors in Zakarpattia are demanding through court that the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" establish protected status for 527 hectares of primeval forests, which are unique natural treasures of the Carpathians. This was reported by UNN with reference to the Prosecutor General's Office.
Details
Prosecutors are initiating through court the establishment of important protection for primeval forests - unique natural treasures of the Carpathians, which are rare untouched natural areas. Tiachiv District Prosecutor's Office has filed lawsuits with the Zakarpattia District Administrative Court to declare the inaction of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" represented by the "Carpathian Forest Office" branch illegal and to oblige them to carry out work on demarcating (on the ground) the boundaries of local primeval forest natural monuments.
It is reported that this refers to natural reserve fund objects with an area of more than 527 hectares - "Primeval Forests of Plai Forestry" (161.7 ha), "Primeval Forests of Neresnytsia Forestry" (128.7 ha), "Primeval Forests of Turbat Forestry" (136.8 ha) and "Primeval Forests and Quasi-Primeval Forest of Lopukhiv Forestry" (100 ha).
The Prosecutor General's Office notes that the absence of land management projects and fixed boundaries makes it impossible to properly protect natural areas and creates risks for the preservation of unique primeval forest ecosystems. Therefore, prosecutors in court demand that the inaction of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" branch be declared illegal and that they be obliged to carry out work on demarcating (on the ground) the boundaries of local primeval forest natural monuments.
"The lawsuits filed by the prosecutor in the interests of the state, represented by the State Environmental Inspectorate of Zakarpattia Oblast, have been accepted for consideration by the Zakarpattia District Administrative Court."
For reference
Primeval forests are primary, untouched forest areas that are of significant age and have never been subjected to human intervention. Such forests often contain many levels of vegetation, representing different tree species and trees of different ages.
Clear demarcation of primeval forests allows for the official establishment of the status of these territories as being under special protection, and prevents any logging, development, or other types of economic activity that could disrupt the natural balance.
Addition
In July, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported that the Prosecutor General's Office was carrying out a large-scale counteraction to environmental crimes in the state forestry sector. At that time, in recent weeks alone, more than UAH 167 million in damages caused by corrupt actions, illegal logging, and abuses in the system of the State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" had been recorded. Separately, almost UAH 140 million is the value of unjustified assets, undeclared property, and signs of illegal enrichment of forestry officials.