TALLINN- Today the People's Union policycouncil group challenged the parliament to initiate a debate on the future of Estonia's state forest as a matter of national importance and also began acampaign of collecting signatures to protect state forests.
The head of the parliamentary faction of the opposition party, Karel Ruutli,said "Our view is that the future of state forest as our common propertyneeds a comprehensive discussion and the unity of the whole society taking intoconsideration the social, economic, regional and cultural aspects," Ruutlisaid.
For Ruutli, wiping out forest management districts is not the only way tocut costs. "Costs must not be saved at the expense of the people who workin forests, but the number of people working in the head office and the regionsshould be reduced," he said. "The same conclusion has been reached byrecognized forestry specialists who regard both the RMK reform and the amendingof the forest law as irresponsible," he added.
The opposition party finds that the planned new forest law endangers theexistence of state forest and the forest development plan as a nationalagreement. The People's Union points out that RMK hasstarted eliminating forest management districts on a large scale. Out of theexisting 63 districts only 17 are to be preserved, and out of 550 well-educatedforestry specialists only 250 would keep their jobs.
The People's Union went on to state: "Reportedlythe plan is to separate the growing, the management and the sale of forest. Butthis will destroy the continuity of state forest management and eliminate thegood master, and may lead to predatory cutting. Fifty viable forest villagesacross Estoniawill be doomed to extinction,".
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