In Eurostat figures, the Bulgarian forests have been growing in size unlike the situation across most of Europe. However, those in the know argue that forests are being logged indiscriminately. The paradox is that both arguments are true but some clarification is needed along the way. Resulting from the ruin of Bulgarian agriculture over the last quarter of a century many uncultivated plots of land in mountainous areashave overgrown withyoung forests, expanding their territory. In the meantime, environmentalists and mountaineers like Prof. Mikhail Konstantinov have sounded the alarm that felling has affected mostly old trees. This second - and grim - part of the story remains concealed for official statistics.

A report about illegal logging drawn up by WWF-Bulgaria discloses the entire process starting from how logging is planned and carried out; how timber is transported and later sold. All this is taking place skillfully hidden in paperwork. According to the report the country loses an average annual amount of 100 million leva (the rough equivalent of 50 million euro) from illegal logging.

"The annual volume of illegal logging comes to one-quarter of the total of 7 million cubic meters of timber logged,” Nelly Dontcheva, head of the Forests Program at WWF-Bulgaria told the press.“Compared to the 2005 report we have found a slight decline in illegal logging. However, issues remain and damage is colossal. In this particular case we have not calculated the financial worth of illegal logging as a loss of eco-system services delivered by forests - their water regulation, soil protection and anti-erosion functions.”

Engineer Alexander Dountchev, expert at WWF-Bulgaria, contends that the so-called Gypsy felling has declined to a certain extent. However this is at the expense of more effective corruption schemes in the system of forests. The core of the problem is political corruption pressure, the forester says and adds that loopholes in the law facilitate corruption. One of these loopholes stems from the fact that the same institution, notably the Ministry of Agriculture, concentrates both the economic and controlling functions regarding in forests. Punitiveefficiency is alsodaunting-the administrationcollectsa mere 14% of fines imposed on offenders.

"Close to 90% of offenders feel unpunishable”, comments engineer Dimitar Bakalov, head of Protection of Forests Directorate at the Forests Executive Agency, “There are recidivists detained 22 times a year and they do not pay the fines. So, of course, they have no fear of the law and go on with this illegal business.”

The most alarming fact is that forests have been losing their most valuable and oldest trees that are the source of the biggest profit. To attain their targets, illegal loggers use a whole range of tricks for marking trees planned for felling. Controlling bodies in turn tend to turn a blind eye to these tricks, Alexander Dountchev says. The productivity of young forests however is low and it takes one hundred years for a forest to be restored.

"There is a big issue in Bulgarian forestry and it has become quite apparent of late. It is the decline in old forests”, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forests Prof. Georgi Kostov admits. “Young and middle-aged forests are increasing their share.”

Jointly with environmental and other civil groups the team of Prof. Kostov has planned a range of measures to curb illegal logging. The website of the Forests Executive Agency makes public all logging permits that have been officially issued. Starting from 15 September mayors are obliged to place such permits in public. This means that communities can become easily aware where logging is legal or illegal. There are plans to introduce an electronic logging ticket from 2015 that will be hard to falsify and is likely to end most of previous abuse. Another measure is to apply marking plates for all logs to replace marking with paint. Further measures include amendments to the Criminal Code including community service for offenders who cannot pay fines.

All these are quite good intentions but there is hardly a chance for them to be put into practice during the short term of the caretaker government. Deputy Minister Kostov is not an optimist either, because the political class in Bulgaria has always viewed forests as its property and an easy source of profit. A few months ago the so-called 19/45 scheme leaked, whereby each month on the19th the heads of the six forest enterprises paid 45,000 Levs in kickback to the Deputy Ministerof Agriculture in charge. This is money that can only comefromillegal logging.The information has been neither confirmed nor denied explicitly. Therefore Prof. Kostov calls on the public for greater vigilance.

“Fears among local forest officers ar estrong”,the Deputy Minister says. “There are small remote villages where woodis the only source of livelihood and people are afraid of losing their jobs.They are forced to remain silent, even if they disagree with what is happening.I therefore call on the civil society to be on the field and to alert."

English Daniela Konstantinova