Non-intervention areas in national parks are costly

Slovakia pledged to increase the share of non-intervention areas in protected national parks from the current 20% to 50-75%. Logging and hunting are not allowed in such zones and this would bring substantial costs―the state would have to compensate landowners for limiting their rights, and many lumberjacks would lose jobs. The compensation could come to €12m annually, with the alternative being purchasing the land in national parks for €244-374m. The Finance Ministry wants the municipalities to finance the compensation from the accommodation tax, or by introducing admission fees to national parks. About 1,800 of the current 25,000 lumberjacks could lose their jobs.

(hnonline.sk)