Transcarpathian foresters reported on the year 2017

On January 17, a press conference of the management of Transcarpathian Regional Forestry and Hunting Administration took place in Uzhgorod, where they publicly summed up the results of the past year. Thus, the public learned that there are no unprofitable forestry enterprises in Transcarpathia, and therefore it’s impractical to talk about concession, that is, the transfer of state forests to private ownership. They also talked about the scandals, that arose last year – about a killed lynx and a fight with journalists at the Svydovets ridge. 

"50% of all profits and taxes paid to the state budget from the Carpathian region came the Transcarpathian state forestry enterprises"

– There are no inefficient forest enterprises in Transcarpathia, all are profitable and budget-making in their regions. They remain profitable, even after the raise of salaries for forestry workers, – Valeriy Murha, the head of the Transcarpathian Regional Forestry and Hunting Administration said. – It is noteworthy that 50% of all profits and taxes paid to the state budget from the Carpathian region come the Transcarpathian state forestry enterprises.

"It is unknown what the strategy will be like, but we insist that forests must be state-owned"

Thus, Transcarpathian foresters are against the transfer of state forests into concession.

– There is no clear understanding of the forestry reform direction now, a working group has been made up of MPs, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, environment organizations, forestry workers and scientists, – Valeriy Murha said. – In February, this group will submit to the parliament a new concept for the development of the forest industry. At the moment, the transfer of state forests into concession is at the level of discussion. Foresters all over the country insist that forests in Ukraine must remain state-owned, – he said.

According to Murha, at the moment it is impossible to predict whether the concession of forests will be introduced in Ukraine.

"Although that lynx was killed 4 years ago, he had no right to do that"

Interestingly, over the past year, 89 forestry workers in Transcarpathia were penalized and nine were fired; criminal proceedings were opened against two workers, in particular for hunting for endangered animals.

According to the head of the Administration, the forestry enterprises in Velyky Berezny, Yasinya and Khust are the most problematic in the region.

– Regarding the scandalous incidents with interfering with the work of journalists, which took place in the Brustury forestry, the master of the forest, who was committing unlawful actions against journalists, was dismissed. He was an honest, hardworking forester, but he crossed the line. This is unacceptable, – Murha said.

– The employee of the Rakhiv forestry, who was found to have killed an endangered animal – lynx – was also fired. He is currently on sick leave, but the order on his dismissal will come into force the first day he comes back to work. In addition, a criminal proceeding has been opened against him for hunting an endangered animal. Those pictures, that were posted online, were made four years ago – but these are endangered animals, and even if they were killed four years ago, it is crime, – Murha said.