The newly created state enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" plans to build 500 kilometers of forest roads, which is a record number in recent years.
The underdevelopment of the forest transport network is one of the main problems of the Ukrainian forest industry, Yuriy Bolokhovets, head of the State Forest Resources Agency, reports on Facebook.
He stressed that in Ukraine the density of forest roads is several times lower than in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Austria, etc.
Bolohovets explained that such construction would provide:
- more effective fire fighting;
- harvesting in a remote area, and not near settlements;
- access to a resource that is currently being lost;
- reduction in the cost of procurement and transportation;
- strengthening control over illegal logging;
- development of the recreational potential of the region;
- socio-economic development of depressed regions;
- conservation of forest soils, their proper ecological condition.
He emphasized that investments in forest roads are economically justified. After all, the funds spent with effective management are quickly returned.
It is noted that in recent years the number of forest roads has been constantly increasing in Ukraine. So, in 2020, 65 km were built, in 2021 - 130 km, in 2022 – 140 km.
"This year, given the new opportunities opened up by the reform of the forest industry and the creation of the state enterprise Forests of Ukraine, the volume of new roads should be more than tripled," Bolohovets said.
He added that it is planned to build in the regional offices of "Forests of Ukraine":
- 30 km of roads – in the Podolsky forest office;
- 160 km – in the Carpathian;
- 180 km – in Polessky;
- 100 km – in Moscow;
- 30 km – in the Central.
Blochovets noted that almost 90% of the construction is expected to be done by contractors. In the near future, the preparation of the first tenders for the Central Office will begin.
Previously, EcoPolitic analyzed how the global forest reform is implemented in practice
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that Yuliya Yatsyk, MP and member of the Temporary Investigative Commission on illegal logging in the Transcarpathian region, suspected officials from the regional prosecutor's office of being involved in the schemes of the forest mafia.
