Approximately five acres of beech forest were illegally cut down in Hahót, Zala County, in recent days, reports uno.hu. Although forestry authorities tried to intervene and halt the clear-cutting, officials say they do not possess the power to stop such cases.
According to Tibor Hajdú, the director of the Zala County Forestry Authority, regulations governing logging in Hungary are very easy to get around. Moreover, the law only punishes the act of chopping down protected trees. Once the trees have been chopped down, it is legal to remove and sell them.
Illegal loggers often get around the law by buying forest land in the name of homeless people, making it impossible for authorities to recover fines. Officials say that even if the identity of the persons behind the ruse is known, they cannot be charged.
The five acres of beech forest were worth approximately Ft 30 million (€117,000).