Why you shouldn't buy firewood “from hand” / Depositphotos
It is not allowed to harvest firewood for the winter wherever you want in Ukraine, as it carries hefty fines. But it turns out that you should only buy wood from trusted sellers.
Why can't you buy firewood “from hand”?
Buying firewood “from hands”, that is, from sellers without documents, a person can receive a fine. This was stated by a forester from the Kyiv region, Mykola Kovalenko, in a comment to News.LIVE.
The fact is that the timber supplier could have cut down trees illegally. If he did not have the appropriate permit, then the buyer of the goods would also be responsible for this.
Without the appropriate documents, not only will you be held liable, but the firewood may also be confiscated.
– the forester explained.
The expert emphasized that when purchasing firewood, the buyer should always request checks, invoices, or other documents confirming that the seller harvested the wood legally.
What are the fines for buying firewood without documents?
There is currently no separate law that defines the punishment for purchasing wood “from hands.” However, a person who buys illegal wood has no evidence or documents to confirm its origin.
Accordingly, she violates several laws of Ukraine when she transports and stores such wood. And violation of the legislation provides not only administrative, but also criminal liability.
The Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (Article 65) defines the penalties for illegal logging, transportation and storage of timber:
- for ordinary Ukrainians – 30 – 60 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens, that is, from 510 to 1,020 hryvnias;
- for officials – 150 – 300 tax-free minimum incomes of citizens, that is, from 2,550 to 5,100 hryvnias.
In case of a repeated violation , the fines are doubled:
- for ordinary citizens – from 60 to 90 tax-free minimums, i.e. 1,020 – 1,530 hryvnias;
- for officials – from 600 to 900 tax-free minimums, i.e. 10,200 – 15,300 hryvnias.
However, the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Article 246) also provides for criminal liability for illegal deforestation that has caused significant damage to nature.
The sanctions of this article define:
- fine – from 1 thousand to 1,500 subsistence minimums, i.e. 17 – 25 thousand hryvnias;
- probation, restriction or imprisonment for up to 3 years.
If such a violation is committed repeatedly or by a group of persons in a prior conspiracy, the prison term may increase to 5 years .
Deforestation in reserves or protected areas is punished especially severely:
- a fine of 1,500 – 2,000 non-taxable minimums, i.e. from 25,500 to 34,000 hryvnias;
- restriction or imprisonment for a term of 3 to 5 years.
Please note! For serious consequences, the imprisonment may increase to even 7 years.
How to legally harvest firewood?
-
To legally harvest firewood, you need to obtain a special permit – a logging ticket. This document gives you the right to harvest in certain volumes and within clearly defined deadlines.
-
Such a permit is issued by authorized forestry authorities. To do this, you must submit an application and a package of documents, including a work plan and materials regarding the specific area where harvesting is planned.
-
If firewood is purchased from state forestry enterprises or other official sellers, it is imperative to keep supporting documents – invoices or shipping documents. In the case of independent harvesting, all actions must be coordinated in advance with the forestry or the relevant forestry enterprise.