Environment Minister supports call for forest restoration

Minister of the Environment Tomáš Taraba (SNS nominee) supports the Slovak Chamber of Forestry's call for forest restoration and protection. He and Minister of Agriculture Richard Takáč (Smer-SD) are developing a national project to rehabilitate and replant forests with climate-resilient species. Taraba criticized the current forest protection policy for causing significant degradation, citing OECD data that highlights systemic failures. He pointed out that Slovakia's monoculture spruce forests are suffering, with decreasing carbon dioxide sequestration and declining vitality. The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with various agencies and the Environment Fund, will submit this project for government approval. The national parks will use the project to identify areas in need of replanting. Taraba emphasized that active rehabilitation will be a key focus of the national strategy to protect and restore Slovak forests.

Source: TASR