As it became known to EPL from the web-site of the Volyn Oblast State Forest and Hunting Administration, on March 15, 2018, the list of measures to improve the sanitary state of forests in Vorotniv Forestry and the State Enterprise “Kivertsi Forestry” was approved.
The list of forest felling in “Vorotniv” reserve
The area where selective sanitary felling is to be performed covers 575 ha. On average, 15-16 cubic meters of wood is planned to be taken from one hectare, which totally makes 8500-9000 ha of the total amount of felling.
According to the web–site of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of Volyn Oblast State Administration, quarters 18-40 of Vorotniv forestry are included to the botanic natural reserve “Vorotniv». The reserve protects oak-hornbeam, hornbeam-birch, oak-ash-tree woodlands with an admixture of pine-tree Pinus sylvestris, aspen Populus tremula, birch-covered Betula pendula, maple of acrosylic Acer platanoides.
This means that foresters from Kivertsi propose to fell forest on 575 ha out of 600 ha, that is on 96% of the area of the reserve!
If you analyze the list of plots that are planned for forest felling, you can see a formal approach to the process. In particular, all forests “in a row” are allocated for felling including artificial forests, natural forests, both young and old growth forests. The indicated grounding for these measures is the same everywhere – “deadfall, fallen wood”. On each plot (that is, on all 575 hectares!) the same red list plants are indicated as available – “lady’s-slipper orchid” and “Daphne cneorum”. This is not possible because in fact they cannot grow in a young spruce forest (because they will not get enough light) while the 2nd section of the 40th quarter is exactly such a forest with spruce plants up to 27 years old.
The list of forest felling in “Vorotniv” reserve
It is worth noting that «Vorotniv” reserve is a popular recreation place. One of the arguments of foresters in favor of the above-mentioned fellings is “ensuring the safety of people who are on vacation and the removal of trees that may cause an accident.” However, the allocated areas are not only those where there are a lot of holidaymakers, but also remote areas in the depths of the forest where people do not go.
Moroever, in such cases there is a worldwide practice when in valuable forests in places of mass recreation, the trees that can cause an accident are simply “landed” without removing them from the forest.
«Landed» trees in the reserve “Natural forest of Pushcha Bilovezka” in Poland
According to the procedure, in order to hold the felling following this list, Volynian foresters will have to get limits from the Ministry of Environment of Ukraine. EPL believes that the above mentioned felling is de-facto commercial wood harvesting on protected territories. You can see how the protected forest will look after so-called “selective sanitary felling” in Volyn style on the example of the neighboring protected tract “Tsumanska Pushcha”
«Selective sanitary felling» in the protected tract “Tsumanska Pushcha”
That is why we appeal to the Ministry of Environment with the request not to approve the limits for performing the above described felling.
The plan of afforestation of “Vorotniv” reserve
We have the following proposals for Volyn’ foresters:
а) to exclude from the plan of forest felling in “Vorotniv” reserve all plots with old growth oaks (except for areas along paths, roads and recreational areas);
б) to hold felling of hazard–posing trees along paths, roads and recreational areas without removal of wood;
в) to develop the plan of measures to manage “Vorotniv” reserve on the basis of the best European practice when the most valuable forest plots are preserved with minimal interference of people and the rest of territories are covered by measures of active management.
Part of forests of “Vorotniv” reserve consist of artificial planting of Norway spruce and northern red oak, and their felling would be, on the one hand, beneficial for the nature, and, on the other hand, would allow the foresters to earn money to ensure functioning of the forestry.
«Belianskyi forest” reserve in the center of Warsaw. Every day thousands of residents of Polish capital come here but old dead oaks stay here and they do not cause any problems for the visitors.
For further information please contact:
Petro Testov, EPL analyst
Email: petro.testov@gmail.com
Tel.: (032) 225 – 76 -82; (068) 934 – 95 – 74
