The State Enterprise 'Forests of Ukraine' has identified 34 cases of illegal logging of coniferous trees

Fight against illegal logging of forests

According to ХВИЛЯ: The State Enterprise 'Forests of Ukraine' has begun an active fight against illegal logging of coniferous plantations, identifying 34 cases of illegal logging. In this regard, fines for illegal tree logging will triple in December and January. As part of the fight against such violations, 295 mobile raid groups have been formed, consisting of about 1,000 people.

The raid groups conducted 385 joint inspections, resulting in 28 administrative protocols with a total amount of over 14 thousand hryvnias. The most violations were recorded in the Kharkiv, Volyn, and Poltava regions.

Fines for illegal tree logging

The fines for illegal logging of trees depend on the diameter of the tree:

• Diameter up to 10 cm: fine of 893 hryvnias, on the territory of the reserve – 7.6 thousand hryvnias.
• Diameter from 10.1 to 14 cm: fine of 1.5 thousand hryvnias, in protected areas – 13.3 thousand hryvnias.
• Diameter from 14.1 to 18 cm: fine exceeds 4 thousand hryvnias, in reserves – 34.7 thousand hryvnias.

In the case of significant damage exceeding 30.2 thousand hryvnias, illegal logging and sale of illegally cut trees are punishable by criminal liability. A total of 7.8 million Christmas trees grow on 2.7 thousand hectares of plantations, highlighting the importance of protecting forests from illegal actions.

The implementation of such measures indicates an increase in state control over forest protection in Ukraine, which is critically important in the context of preserving the ecosystem and preventing environmental crimes. The increase in fines and the activation of raid groups may help reduce cases of illegal logging, as this not only harms nature but also has serious economic consequences for the state.