THE WIND STORM that recently struck Slovakia damaged nearly two million trees. The level of destruction caused by the storm is comparable to the 2004 wind calamity, the Agriculture Ministry informed on May 19.
According to the state-run Lesy SR forestry firm, the number of damaged trees is comparable to one half of the planned annual output, the SITA newswire reported.
The places hardest hit by the storm were the Gemer, Horehronie, Orava and Šariš regions.
“The state-run Lesy SR company will move all its free capacities to the sites stricken by the storm the most and will suspend ongoing logging,” Ctibor Határ, head of the company, told SITA, adding that wood from the fallen trees has to be processed as soon as possible.
Unlike the 2004 storm, this time mostly beech trees were damaged. Therefore, the company suspended logging of broadleaved trees and will move workers to affected localities.
Employees of Lesy SR are still surveying the damage, so it is possible that the final number will be even higher. It is important to process beech and spruce wood as quickly as possible to prevent other forms of damage, SITA wrote.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
