Taraba: State Has 24 Contracts with Local Sawmills Near National Parks

Bratislava, 6 August (TASR) – The state at present has 24 contracts with local sawmills located within 50 kilometres of national parks, compared to just five during the government of the current opposition (2020-23), Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (nominated by SNS) posted on social media on Wednesday. Taraba posted this in response to opposition's criticism that harvested wood is being exported instead of processed by local buyers and producers. „There are currently — I have checked — 24 contracts with local sawmills within 50 kilometres of national parks. When the Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS) was in power, there were only five,” Taraba specified. In response to opposition claims that logging in national parks is currently done through so-called standing timber sales — where wood is sold while still on the stump — the minister added that this method was approved on 14 January 2023, during the time when the Ministry of Environment was led by the current opposition. „The Environment Ministry is not the main entity harvesting wood in Slovakia. This is a completely marginal activity, especially when it comes to diseased wood,” Taraba concluded. mf