"Forests of Ukraine" responded to the scandal regarding logging in the national park in Odesa

"Forests of Ukraine" responded to the scandal regarding logging in the national park in Odesa shutterstock
Katerina Belousova

The documentation of the Ministry of Environment does not indicate that the forestry territory is included in the national park

In Odesa, the director of the forest farm was informed of a suspicion of exceeding his official authority in issuing logging tickets on the territory of the Severyniv Forestry, which is part of the "Kuyalnytskyi" National Nature Park.

In a state-owned enterprise "Forests of Ukraine" in Telegram stated that the management of forestry was not informed that in January 2022 this territory became part of the national park.

According to the investigation, the official illegally issued logging tickets for sanitary felling.

The message explained that the sanitary felling was agreed with the State Specialized Forest Protection Enterprise "Vinnytsialisozakhist" and the Odesa Regional Department of Forestry and Hunting. Without the approval of these institutions, the director of the enterprise cannot issue a logging ticket.

It is noted that currently there is no land management project of the "Kuyalnytskyi" National Park, that is, its boundaries are not defined. In addition, the order of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources dated 04.04.2022 No. 169 does not indicate that the territory of the Severyniv Forestry is part of the National Park.

"The management did not receive a protection obligation, according to which the territory of the nature reserve fund, forestry is transferred for protection from the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of Odesa Oblast," the press service said.

The message added that internal security officers of "Forests of Ukraine" are conducting an internal investigation and are actively cooperating with relevant bodies and institutions.

As EcoPolitic reported earlier, in Sumy Oblast, the police exposed a criminal group of officials and employees of commercial structures, which established a corrupt scheme of selling unaccounted timber, in particular abroad.

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