Visiting Forests in 2024: Updated Information on Permits, Prohibitions, and Restrictions

Forests in summer entice with coolness and freshness, but with the onset of full-scale invasion, their lands become inaccessible to residents in most regions of Ukraine due to martial law and associated risks.

Experts from the NGO "ForestCom" have investigated whether there have been any changes in the rules for visiting forests in various regions this year compared to previous years. To prepare this material, sources included official inquiries to the regional military administrations.

Permission to Access Forests

Residents of Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Zakarpattia, and with minor exceptions in Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv regions, are allowed to visit forests. However, residents of these regions should be aware of high fire danger periods (with a fire hazard class of 4 and above) when access by vehicles (excluding transit routes) or full forest visitation ban comes into effect.

• Chernivtsi Region: despite no prohibition decisions on forest visitation, residents should remember that tourist locations within 5 km of the border require permission from border guards.
• Ternopil Region: there is no list of restricted forest areas during martial law. However, the population is forbidden from visiting forests by foot or any vehicles during periods of high fire danger.
• Ivano-Frankivsk Region: near-border communities should note temporary regime restrictions and a ban on recreational activities near bordering territories during high fire danger periods.
• Despite no forest visitation bans in Lviv Region, full forest visitation is prohibited during fire danger periods. In the Yavoriv District of Lviv Region, forest visitation is also forbidden.

Visit Allowed Under Certain Conditions

In several regions, forest visitation is permissible under specific guidelines outlined in the previous section.

In Rivne Region, despite the ban on forest visitation, foresters have established 125 designated safe areas across the region for recreational activities. Collecting wild forest produce (mushrooms, berries, and medicinal herbs) is allowed in the region, except in six bordering community territories where some forests are mined.

Similar restrictions apply to Volyn Region, where warning signs are placed in mined areas, and it is strictly prohibited to leave forest roads, dismantle or cross man-made woodpiles in forests.

In Khmelnytsky Region, forest visitation is not prohibited, but certain regulations are in place: the spreading of tarpaulins is forbidden, as is vehicle access to forests except for bicycles.

Partial Visitation Restrictions in Border Areas

Residents in border areas of Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Chernivtsi, and Sumy Regions should remember the prohibition against visiting border zones. A significant part of border territories is mined, making forest visitation not only a violation but a personal safety concern.

In Zhytomyr Region, forest visitation is allowed except in areas within 30 km of the Ukrainian state border adjacent to Belarus, as well as temporarily occupied territories (Korosten District). Hunting is prohibited during martial law except for wildlife conservation and protective measures for hunting land users.

Similar restrictions apply in Zakarpattia, where forest visitation remains generally open, with select routes closed for visitation (portions of the Uzhansky National Park and Carpathian Biosphere Reserve bordering other countries). Measures to prevent mass fires in regional ecosystems during martial law are in effect, including a ban on vehicle entry (excluding transit routes) and tourist routes during martial law.

Forest Visitation Prohibition

According to decisions of regional military administrations, forest visitation is prohibited in 14 regions: Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv. This ban applies to pedestrians and all types of transport, excluding military vehicles, other military formations, permanent forest users, and government representatives. Transit roads are exceptions.

In Kyiv and Kyiv Region, forest and green areas outside residential areas are off-limits.

Temporarily occupied areas still include the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, portions of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson Regions, as well as Zaporizhzhia Region, where there is a risk of mine detonations in forests, according to the State Emergency Service.

Ban on Forest Visitation Due to High Fire Danger

During periods of high fire risk (IV-V classes), forest visitation and access to forested areas in various regions (except general-use roads) are prohibited for all types of vehicles and spreading tarpaulins in forested areas, except in specially equipped and designated recreational areas.

This restriction, aimed at preventing wildfires, applies to Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, and Rivne Regions.

With high temperatures and no precipitation, the fire danger level will be the highest. Risks of fires in natural ecosystems increase, primarily due to human negligence being a primary cause of forest fires.

Considering all bans and restrictions, plan your summer hikes thoughtfully.

Stay safe!