site.btaParliament Passes on First Reading Three Bills Amending Forestry Act

Parliament on Thursday adopted on first reading three bills amending the Forestry Act in relation firewood. MPs supported the bills of Dessislava Taneva of GERB-UDF, Ivan Ivanov of BSP for Bulgaria and Ivan Hristanov of Continue the Change. Amendments, proposed by Alexander Dounchev of Continue the Change heads of forestry farms to be appointed through a competition.

Changes, proposed by Dessislava Taneva, are related to provisions, regulating the terms under which individuals may purchase for their own needs standing wood from state and municipal wooded areas.

Under amendments, sponsored by Ivan Ivanov, the quantities of standing wood that can be harvested from state-owned wooded areas, should not exceed 30% of the planned harvest. Municipalities will be able to sell firewood from municipal forests after they meet the demands of local population.

Amendments, sponsored by Ivan Hristanov, envisage each year by March 1 regional forestry directorates together with state forest farms and municipalities will prepare and update plans that fix the quantities of firewood that can be harvested from wooded areas, state and municipal property, to meet the demands of each municipality and publish then on their webpages.