Investigation vs. Inaction: What's Wrong with Deforestation near Sadjivka?

During a forest inspection near the village of Sadjivka in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the NGO ForestCom uncovered numerous violations of forestry laws. The inspection revealed selective tree logging with signs of illegal activity within the specialized agroforestry enterprise "Ivano-Frankivskoblagrolis" of Lanchynetsk forestry.

Illegal selective tree logging, understating tree diameters, and the absence of necessary documentation point to serious violations of forestry legislation. The details of this investigation expose not only environmental issues but also systemic inaction on the part of responsible authorities, significant problems in forest resource management, and law compliance. Despite reaching out to law enforcement agencies, the NGO received no official responses in time regarding criminal investigations.

According to the information provided, there should have been a sanitary logging operation in the forest. Additionally, it became known that law enforcement officials conducted a site inspection without involving ForestCom, as the applicants. Consequently, we are compelled to depart from our tradition of not publicizing information under investigation and disclose the data we obtained.

During on-site investigations of the harvested forest area and analysis of information provided by the forest user(owner), experts identified well-founded suspicions of the following violations:

Lack of Documentation: The forest user failed to provide an access to forest pathology survey report and other relevant documentation justifying the selective sanitary logging. Information on measures for improving the sanitary condition is also missing from the forest user's website. This raised suspicion about the legality of the issued logging permit. Moreover, it directly violates the Cabinet of Ministers' decree on open data, requiring all forest users to publish all information related to sanitary logging in forests.

Exceeding Logging Quota: More trees were illegally logged than indicated in the allocation materials. For common oak trees, the allocation materials specified the felling of 77 trees, while 125 trees were actually cut down, which is 62% more (based on the preliminary obtained list of oak tree stumps).

Violation of Tree Selection Requirements: Thicker and healthier trees were cut down, including valuable hardwood species, while sick and underdeveloped softwood trees were left. This contradicts the rules of tree selection for selective sanitary logging.

Understated Tree Diameters: Tree diameters were artificially reduced during the tree selection process for logging, leading to unaccounted timber for potential illegal sale.

Lack of Markings: Some trees marked for logging that remained uncut lack technical suitability assessment markings, indicating potential tax evasion. Trees with diameters over 24 cm lack serial numbers on them, which is mandatory for selective sanitary logging.

Absence of Information on Site Markers: During field inspections, proper information was not found on site markers.

Post-Logging Mess: The logging area was left cluttered and unkempt.

ForestCom appealed to the Nadvirnya branch of the National Police of Ukraine and the Kolomyia district prosecutor's office with a statement about the illegality of forest felling back in April. However, the organization was not informed about the results of the review of the appeal within the established three-day period, and even as of the last day of May 2024, there were no information whether criminal proceedings have been opened. The complaint submitted to the Ivano-Frankivsk regional prosecutor's office also remained unanswered and was forwarded back to the local prosecutor's office.

The inaction of law enforcement agencies contributes to the continuation of illegal logging near the village.

But the fact of violation of the nature protection organization's right to information about the results of considering appeals about crimes in the field of the environment is particularly infuriating. And as long as we appeal to the need for greater transparency and responsibility on the part of forest users, on more effective control by law enforcement agencies, the logging of the forest continues...

The regional council, as the founder of the "Ivano-Frankivsk Obllagrolis" OCP, reported that the Supervisory Board is conducting an official investigation into the facts of illegal logging and abuse of official position by officials of the forestry.

We will continue to inform about the developments.

The undertaken activities are part of the "Combating Illegal Logging in Ukraine" project, generously supported by the International Programs of the U.S. Forest Service.