site.btaEncroachments in Bulgarian Forest Areas Decreased by More than 60% in 2024

Encroachments in the Bulgaria's forest areas in 2024 decreased by more than 60% compared to 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MAF) said on Friday. In 2024, employees of the Executive Forestry Agency and its structures, state enterprises and their territorial subdivisions have carried out a total of 631,000 inspections. This compares with 612,171 inspections in 2023. The purpose of the inspections is to detect violations and to prevent encroachments in forest areas, the storage, transport and processing of timber, as well as to protect game populations under the Hunting and Game Conservation Act.

The largest number of inspections were carried out on vehicles transporting timber, as well as on timber harvesting and processing sites. Forest inspectors also carried out 6% more inspections at timber harvesting sites than in 2023. As a result of the increased preventive control, the number of administrative offences and penalties under the Forest Act remained relatively the same in 2024, at nearly 5,700 per year. More than 2,100 acts were issued by the six state forest enterprises and their territorial structures in 2024.

The most frequent violations detected are related to the transportation of wood: motor vehicles transporting wood without registered or non-working GPS devices; transportation of unmarked wood; transportation of large quantities and wood not accompanied by a transport ticket. Unauthorized activities in forest areas were detected, mainly harvesting of timber without logging permits and harvesting of unmarked trees. In 2024, most violations of forest legislation were found in Vidin, Veliko Tarnovo and Sofia regions.