New forest protection measures approved by the cabinet at its July 9 meeting provide for this.
For example, the compensation for illegal cutting of a tree varies from 1.9 to 44.6 cu.u., i.e. from 95 to 2,230 lei, depending on the diameter of the trunk and the type of forest in which it grows. There are also fines for damaging seedlings and cuttings in nurseries and forest plantations, hayfields and pastures, unauthorized use of forest territory and other violations.
Penalty rates are also established for cases not previously provided for in the law, such as waste pollution or provoking a fire. Damage is also clearly divided depending on the reasons that caused it: physical, chemical or biological (fire, mechanical damage, etc.).
The collected funds will be used for reforestation activities, purchase of modern equipment, monitoring and support of forestry research, as well as development of educational programs to improve environmental literacy of the population.
Compensation rates for forest law violations have not been updated for more than two decades, and in some cases the value of felled timber is 10-15 times higher than the legal compensation. Thus, updating tariffs will ensure a fair system proportional to the severity of damage.
