Cooperatives given incentives to clean up forests

The Environment Ministry has announced a subsidy for biomass harvesting from forests in order to reduce flammable material. The plan, presented by Environment Minister Thodoros Skylakakis to Parliament on Wednesday, stipulates that gathering and managing biomass will be carried out by forestry cooperatives or partnerships of cooperatives with private individuals engaged.

The subsidy, which will rise in value in accordance with the difficulty of extraction, is seen as a crucial tool to encourage forest management and help reduce accumulated biomass. Work in forests where there are currently no management studies will be given priority for the funding.

Skylakakis said the objective is for all forests to have management plans and fire prevention studies in the upcoming years with the help of forestry agencies and private consultants.

There are currently 9,220 registered forestry workers, but it is estimated that only half of them are active. The majority of the country’s 293 forestry cooperatives are in northern Greece.