Ukrainians who want to independently collect firewood and brushwood in the forests to prepare for the heating season were urged to abandon such plans, because such actions are considered illegal.
Dry, dead or fallen trees and branches are forest resources that belong to the state, and their arbitrary collection is punishable by a fine, reports Khmelnytskyi Regional Department of Forestry and Hunting.
The material explained that the use of forest resources is carried out with a special permit – a logging or forest ticket (Article 69 of the Forest Code).
Ukrainians can freely stay in state and communal forests and, with the consent of the owner, in privately owned forests. People have the opportunity to collect wild herbs, flowers, berries, nuts, mushrooms, etc. for their own needs free of charge and without permits, except for the cases provided for by this Code and other legislative acts of Ukraine.
However, the special use of forest resources enshrines the exclusive right to harvest wood for permanent forest users based on a special permit.
Foresters explained that dry, dead or fallen trees, tree trunks or their parts that lie on the surface of the soil due to storms, wind, snowmelt – all these are forest resources that belong to the state. Only those forest resources can be used and only in the volume specified in the logging ticket.
"Therefore, the collection by citizens of dry, dead dry branches or other parts of trees on the territory of the forest fund of Ukraine is considered illegal arbitrary harvesting of forest resources. This criminal offense specified in Art. 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, is punishable by a fine and payment of damages," the message explained.
The article emphasized that forestry enterprises cannot give permission to the community to harvest firewood without a special permit. Such works are considered particularly dangerous and pose a real threat to human life. While in the forest, the first thing you need to do is follow safety rules.
The foresters explained that the forest is a natural resource, just like oil, but it is renewable. However, it is a complex ecological system where trees, grasses, mammals, invertebrates, fungi, mosses and lichens coexist at the same time.
"It is necessary to realize that "dead wood" in the forest is an integral and mandatory element of a complex biocenosis, which should be present in the forest environment at all stages of forest development. Separately, we draw your attention to the fact that in the forests of the countries of the European Union, it is prescribed to leave dead wood of various degrees of decomposition in the forest," the message added.
Earlier, EcoPolitic worte, that Ukraine will create a single unified online store "DrovaE". Such a platform will allow you to buy firewood online, order delivery and splitting.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, eco-activist and military officer Andriy Plyga criticized the statement of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets regarding the futility and negative impact of dead wood for the health of the forest.
