The Environmental Protection Agency has launched an investigation into illegal forest cutting in Durmitor National Park.
The investigation procedure, i.e. the procedure for determining damage or immediate danger of damage to the environment due to illegal forest cutting, was initiated based on the notification of the Public Enterprise NPCG, which they received on September 30.
According to them, it confirms the cutting of timber in the Durmitor National Park area, in the Pitomine locality in the area of Žabljak Municipality.
Therefore, as they say, the Environmental Protection Agency, as the administrative body responsible for environmental protection, has initiated an investigation in the part of the implementation of the Law on Liability for Environmental Damage.
"The letter in question states that the plot is privately owned but next to the border of the National Park and is an integral part of it, and that the felled forest is located in the area managed by the National Park, i.e. it is located in the Durmitor National Park zone, in Zone III protection", the announcement of the Environmental Protection Agency states.
Although, as they say, the forest was cut down in the private property of Branislav Baranin, cadastral parcel no. 1958, KO Žabljak I, from the submitted documentation it is stated that it was carried out without obtaining permits or consent, i.e. without consulting the manager who manages the national park.
"In the letter in question, it is stated that when the representatives of NP Durmitor went to the cutting site, it was established that the remittance of the trees was made by the Forestry Administration, Regional Unit Žabljak. That there were imprints of the forest stamp and evident plates on the stumps, which belong to the Forestry Administration forests of Montenegro," they announced.
Acting in accordance with the authority of that authority in the part of the implementation of the Law on Liability for Environmental Damage, they point out that the Agency recognized the aforementioned actions and activities as damage to the environment caused to protected species and natural habitats, caused by logging, violation of laws or professional standards, internal business rules or gross negligence of the operator.
In order to determine the exact factual situation, the Environmental Protection Agency, as they state, established a Commission with the task of determining whether damage has occurred in accordance with the Law.
The determination will be made in such a way that it will perform an immediate inspection of the place where the damage is stated, after which it will declare in its finding and opinion whether damage was caused at the location in question as a result of the collection of data on the condition found.
If it is, as they say, the commission will determine the significance of the damage caused to natural habitats and protected species, describe the impact found on the environment, flora and fauna, land with proposed measures, actions and activities aimed at primary remediation, damage removal and return of the site in question to its original state.
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