EkoFront Demands Transparency in Process of Leasing Forest Land

Baku/17.02.21/Turan: The civil initiative EkoFront appealed to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources with a demand to ensure transparency in the process of transferring forest lands to lease.

In a statement made public by EkoFront on the social network, concern was expressed about the seizure of forest lands and the destruction of a shrub, light forest ecosystem under the cover of agricultural gardens by various private companies. Since 2017, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources has leased 8,582 hectares of forest land for these purposes.

The civil initiative EkoFront achieved through a parliamentary request for information on the funds received over three years from the lease of forest lands 217.8 thousand manats or 16 manats per year for each hectare. EkoFront representatives propose to create an information resource available to the public, through which information on the location of the leased forest lands will be provided.

At the same time, the EkoFront initiative emphasizes that the vacant lands of the state forest fund are provided for reforestation purposes and "it is illegal to plant orchards here."

In 2020, the Forest Development Service under the MENR carried out reforestation measures on 10,382 hectares of forest resources in order to increase the use of economically viable plant species in landscaping, prevent deforestation and reduce forest areas, soil erosion, and improve the environmental situation in general. This is stated in the report of the ministry. Within the framework of the measures taken, forest plantations were carried out on 527.3 hectares, forest plantations on 121.2 hectares, forest gardens on 68.5 hectares, plantings of industrial importance from fast-growing tree species on 5 hectares. Assistance was provided to natural restoration on 9,660 hectares. In general, the area of the served forest plantations, crops and forest gardens amounted to 21,668.6 hectares.   -------08B