Taraba: Forest Ownership and Administration Shifting Fully to National Parks (2)

Bratislava, 3 July (TASR) - The ownership and administration of forests in national parks are being fully transferred to the national parks, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) has posted on a social network, rejecting claims that forest administration in national parks remains under the control of state-run forestry enterprise Lesy SR. "The government has tasked the environment minister and the agriculture minister with ensuring that, in cases requiring active forest management, which is a decision that can only be made by the national parks, professional cooperation between Lesy SR and the national parks should be sought as the primary solution, instead of approaching private companies by default," explained Taraba. Opposition MP Veronika Remisova ('Slovakia' - 'For the People') has appealed to the European Commission (EC) with regard to the regulations approved by the government, stating that the national park zoning plans don't meet the conditions of Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan. The EC should therefore review the government's procedure. "I'm drawing the EC's attention to reservations and doubts surrounding the decision on the zoning plans," said Remisova, referring to criticism from conservationists and the expert community, including the position of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. According to her, the most serious reservations include insufficient or reduced protection of the area surrounding the Starina water reservoir in the Poloniny National Park, controversial arrangements concerning ski slopes in the Tatra mountains, and the failure to apply the strictest degree of protection to old-growth forests. She also drew attention to scientists who have warned about the legal risks of transferring state-owned land to third parties. "This information is so serious that increased attention from the European Commission and a thorough examination of the relevant government regulations including their compliance with European legislation and the conditions of the Recovery Plan is more than desirable," added Remisova. Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa stated on Slovak Radio's 'Z prvej ruky' ('At First Hand') programme on Thursday (2 July) that the EC could raise objections to Slovakia's national park zoning plans, not because of the zoning itself but due to a provision included in a government resolution. In his opinion, the conditions of Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan haven't been met. Kuffa said that he's already discussed the issue with fellow deputy minister Martina Sabelova, warning her that one provision of the government resolution states that although the land would formally come under the administration of national parks, it would in practice remain under the control of the state forestry enterprise. "From the outset, the European Commission has told us that it views this as a problem. For me, this is complete nonsense and a major surprise that something like this happened at yesterday's (1 July) government session," said Kuffa. Opposition MP Tamara Stohlova (Progressive Slovakia/PS) has called on the government to inform the public immediately about the approved amendments. According to the Green Majority initiative, the public has the right to know the final version of the national park zoning plans approved by the government. If Kuffa's statements are true, the reform of national parks has been thwarted, added the Green Majority. NOTE: This story has been extended to include paragraphs 3 to 6 jrg/df