The Verkhovna Rada adopted draft law No. 9665, which strengthens responsibility for destruction, damage to forests, illegal felling and sale of wood. People’s deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported this. According to him, the law was supported by 242 votes.
The draft law provides for fines for a number of offenses related to forest use. Destruction or damage to forests, green spaces, pastures, stubble or other natural areas by arson or other dangerous methods will now be punished by fines from 51 to 85 thousand hryvnias or corrective works for up to one year.
If such actions cause significant damage to the environment (for example, destruction of a forest on an area of more than 2 hectares or serious damage to vegetation or peatlands), the prescribed fine increases to 91.8-153 thousand hryvnias.
In cases when these offenses occur on the territories of the nature reserve fund, lead to the death of people, mass death of animals or other serious consequences, as well as in the case of committing them during a state of war or state of emergency, punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of three up to eight years.
In addition, fines in the amount of 34,000 to 85,000 hryvnias are provided for illegal felling of trees or shrubs. If such actions are carried out repeatedly, the amount of the fine increases to 85-170 thousand hryvnias, as well as possible restriction of liberty for a period of three to five years or deprivation of liberty for the same period. Illegal sale of trees or wood will also be punished with a fine in the amount of 34 to 51 thousand hryvnias.
