FOREST THIEVES CAUSE HAVOC IN SOUTH SERBIA

30. September 2014.

The practice of illegal deforestation in the area around Vranje continued this year, too, while the number of recorded forest thieves increased, said the “Green Network” association.

Beech forests owned by the state suffer the most, while several criminal charges for the unauthorized felling of trees were filed.

“The old practice continues and it is becoming larger from year to year. There are increasingly more forest thieves now, while the consequences of this are unforeseeable. The most threatened forests stretch from Bosilegrad and Vlasina to Surdulica, followed by the forests on Oblik and Goc mountains, while there are no more forests from Vrtogoske mountains farwards. The forests have been ravaged to the last tree, while the authorities don’t do anything about it”, said Rade Vasilev from the “Green Network of Serbia” movement.

He added that the association had filed several criminal charges, some of which were filed directly against the officials who should have prevented the illegal deforestation.

“We filed criminal charges against Forestry Inspector Victor Filipovski, too, as well as against those responsible for the second category of protected area of the Diocese of Vranje. The case is still at the prosecutor’s office and nothing is yet happening. We did what was up to us. However, we can’t pose as police officers and thus stop the forest thieves. If such a trend of the destruction of countryside continues, there won’t be any forests left in the Pcinj district in a few years’ time”, said Mr. Vasilev.

Nevertheless, the price of a cubic meter of firewood in this area ranges from 25 to 35 euros.

Source: OK Radio and Coordination Body