Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Miroslav Naidenov and Deputy Minister Prof.Dr. Georgi Kostov officially unveiled the new Forestry Law in the Sheraton Hotel, Sofia. Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry in the Parliament Emil Dimitrov also participated in the event Economic activities in the state forests will be conducted in 6 state forest enterprises. The former forestry and hunting reserves will undergo minor changes and will be transformed into branches of the 6 companies. Minister Naydenov said that the centers of the six forestry companies will be located in the towns of Vratsa, Gabrovo, Shumen, Blagoevgrad, Smolyan, Sliven.
He underlined that a major reform launches with the implementation of the new law. The Law ensures equality between forest owners, forest operators and users of forest areas or products. A full budget is to be granted to the independent supervisory authority for forests in the face of an Executive Forestry Agency and its territorial units - Regional Forestry Directorates. "Forest inspectors" who will monitor compliance with the law by all owners and operators will work there. Public interest and pressure to implement sustainable forest management have increased significatly worldwide. Therefore 2011 is declared not by chance as the World forest Year, which is a good start to the new law.
Deputy Minister Dr. Kostov presented the highlights of the law, stressing that the forests in Bulgaria are managed sustainably, which means that a balance exists between economic, social and environmental aspects.