WWF Slovakia calls for better forest protection

According to the World Wildlife Fund Slovakia, changes in the laws on nature conservation and forests should include a non-interference regime in strictly protected areas, without the possibility of exceptions. The mass claims for exemptions on logging in nature reservations, as reported last week by the State Nature Conservation Agency, show that the current legislation does not sufficiently protect the important conservation areas. According to the organization, the extent of logging in Slovak forests is increasing, following an annual output of about 9.5 million cubic meters of wood. Last week, the state environmentalists reported that more than 45,000 cubic meters of wood should be felled from about 30 protected sites in Slovakia. They asked the regional authorities to take a strict stance on the principle of non-interference when deciding on exceptions. However, pleas for exceptions have already been made by private owners, military as well as state forests.