The Verkhovna Rada intends to extend the ban on the clear felling of fir and beech forests on the mountain slopes of the Carpathian region.

A total of 259 MPs voted on Tuesday, April 3, for the first reading of bill No. 6749 on amendments to some laws of Ukraine on the introduction of a ban on the clear-cut felling of fir and beech forests on the mountain slopes of the Carpathian region.

The document proposes amending the law on the moratorium on conducting clear-cut logging on mountain slopes in the fir and beech forests of the Carpathian region and to extend the moratorium. The bill also proposes amending articles 21 and 26 of the law on the natural reserve fund. In particular, it is proposed to prohibit logging in national natural parks and wildlife preserves.

According to the explanatory note, the adoption of the law will contribute to the protection of forests, stop the clear-cut logging of fir and beech forests of the Carpathian region, help protect the region from floods, landslides, mudflows, avalanches, and also contribute to combating corruption in the sphere of forest protection.

The accompanying documents to the bill note that after the law is adopted only selective felling will be conducted in fir and beech forests on steep slopes in Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, Lviv, and Chernivtsi regions.