Ukrainian Carpathians have lost 10% of their forest in 20 years: journalists reveal corruption schemes
Over the past 20 years, almost 10% of the forest cover has been cut down in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Journalists of the publication NGL.Media found out, which is approximately 161,000 hectares of forest — an area equal to the combined area of such cities as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Ternopil.
About 80% of these fellings fall on forest farms belonging to the State Forestry Agency. The rest of the felling is done in communal forests, reserve lands, and forests under various ministries, such as the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to a Greenpeace study, forests in the Carpathians, which are located in the territory of eight countries, are shrinking at a rate of four hectares per hour – this is the equivalent of cutting down 20 trees every minute. Valuable species of mature trees, which are profitably sold on the market, are particularly affected.
One of the most common forms of felling is reshaping felling, aimed at replacing artificially planted spruce forests that are drying up due to unsuitable climatic conditions. At an altitude of 800-900 meters in the Carpathians, beech and fir forests should naturally grow, which are better adapted to the local environment.
