Clear-cutting has been carried out in forests along Lithuania’s southeastern border with Belarus, causing discontent among local residents, LRT reports.
The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said that the cutting down of trees and bushes along the border is indeed necessary, as they prevent proper monitoring of the border strip.
A local resident told LRT that a five-kilometer stretch of forest has been cut down in Lazdijai County, and the clear-cutting continues further into Druskininkai County. Ričardas, a resident of the village of Varviške, told the media that he was concerned about the clearing of the Nemunas River, as it could make the river’s sandy banks unstable. He said that residents are outraged. They have spoken to foresters and the pine trees are more than 200 years old. Ričardas said that one solution would have been to thin them out, leaving about ten meters between each other.
Ričardas managed to reach an agreement with the VSAT that at least for the time being, while the birds are nesting, a small piece of forest near his house will be preserved. He has also been looking for an answer to why the border is cut down in such a wide strip. Officially, the border strip is 13 meters from the border line, but the currently cut strip is up to 100 meters wide. The VSAT insists that this is necessary to make the fight against smugglers and migrants more effective.
Laura Jurgelevičiūtė, a representative of the VSAT, pointed out that everything depends on the circumstances – terrain, the presence of water, and the like.
All work has been coordinated with the border guard, and currently no specific width of the cut strip has been determined.
In 2024, the Lithuanian State Forests issued 12 logging permits.
The work in the forest is being carried out by a small local company, Bush Hunter, which has a three-year contract with the VSAT. According to the terms of the contract, the company does not receive any payment from the state. Mindaugas Baliukonis, the owner of Bush Hunter, said that it is partly a charity, and the company makes a profit from the wood sold. He added that the company has also undertaken to maintain border patrol trails.
Baliukonis also told LRT that any work is carried out in accordance with the instructions of forest guards. “Before starting work, we drive through with foresters and representatives from the forest enterprise. They tell me, “God forbid you go where you’re not supposed to.” They show me where to leave trees, and what areas to avoid. We only cut what’s agreed.”
Nevertheless, the logging has caused concern and misunderstanding, prompting the Lithuanian Nature Conservation Board to conduct an investigation. Deputy Environment Minister Ramūnas Krugelis said no violations had been detected. He said some work may not have been carried out in accordance with the requirements, but stressed that Lithuania’s security was the priority in this case.
In response to the controversial situation, Lithuania’s Environment Ministry has prepared a proposal to ban clear-cutting within 20 kilometers of the border in forests larger than 1.5 hectares.
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