EnvirMin Alexe: Secular forests of Romania to be protected by law

Minister of Environment Costel Alexe told a press conference on Friday held at the Schitu Duca Woods in Iasi County that the secular forests in Romania will be, from now, protected by law and also that he intends to double the surface of virgin and quasi-virgin forests in the country.

"We decided to transform all these secular forests of Romania, old forests, which are more or less production forests today, into secular forests to be protected by the law. We want to be sure that there will no longer be any logging in these forests. Ever since taking over as Minister, I committed to protecting everything that can be preserved and so I will, as we did with the Baneasa forest. I encouraged all the authorities of the Romanian state that have forests that can be transformed into park-forests to be offered to the citizens, to file a request with the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests to take over their management and to transform them into forest-parks," said Costel Alexe.

He specified that he wanted to double the surface of virgin or quasi-virgin forests in Romania.

Alexe called on universities, faculties, research centres and NGOs to participate in carrying out these studies regarding the categorization of the virgin and quasi-virgin forests.

The Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests also stated that currently in Romania there are 38,000 hectares of forests that are over 140-150 years old. According to him, they are secular forests of spruce, oak or sessile oak.

He wanted to specify that in the next period other areas will be identified that will be included in the catalogue of virgin and quasi-virgin forests or as secular forests.

Regarding Iasi County, Minister Alexe said that he wants to introduce 740 hectares in the category of secular forests.