"To protect Rožaj's forest wealth from illegal activities"

The President of the Municipality of Rožaje, Rahman Husović, received with his colleagues the director of the Forestry Administration, Srđan Pejović, who was on a working visit to Rožaje with his colleagues, and the head of PJ Rožaje, the Forestry Administration, Alen Kalač.

At the meeting, the current problems that the municipality of Rožaje is facing when it comes to forestry and wood processing were discussed in detail, and opinions and ideas on how to solve them were exchanged.

The President of the Municipality, Rahman Husović, emphasized that forests are the most important resource of the municipality of Rožaje, which is why, according to him, much more attention should be paid to this wealth, especially when it comes to their use, access roads, fire protection and the like.

He also pointed out that the Municipality of Rožaje is actively working on projects from the EU funds for the development and promotion of wood processing and the Business Zone project, which represent an opportunity for employment of young people and the development of wood processing, but, as he concluded, due to administrative barriers and excessive paperwork, all these processes they take too long and require a lot of time and energy to be realized.

President Husović emphasized that he also supports the promotion of healthy competition when it comes to Public Calls for the allocation of state forests for use, especially if you take into account the fact that more than 70 wood processing companies are registered in Rožaje.

Director of the Forestry Administration, Srđan Pejović, MSc, pointed out that the municipality of Rožaje is one of the most important municipalities for forestry, considering that about 64 % of the territory is covered by forests.

"What is positive is the fact that the forests, although young, are of good quality and have good natural regeneration, which is why it is necessary to pay attention to preserve and further develop the forestry and woodworking traditions in this city. In this regard, special attention must first be paid to the rehabilitation of the large fire area in the Crnja-Ibarac economic unit, in which almost 17 departments were destroyed in a large fire in 2020, which is why it is necessary to approach the rehabilitation of that area even more actively," said Pejović. .

Alen Kalač, the newly appointed head of the Rožaje Forestry Administration, added that in the coming period, he will actively work on strengthening cooperation with the local community, because it is in everyone's interest and well-being, and only through joint cooperation can big projects be implemented and local problems solved. are under the jurisdiction of the Forestry Administration, and the aim is for the welfare of the citizens of Rožaj.

The leaders of the Forestry Administration informed the attendees about the problems that the Forestry Administration is constantly facing, especially when it comes to the lack of professional staff, illegal activities, fires, insufficient budget, which further complicate the implementation of planned activities.

At the meeting, it was agreed that the forest must be protected through joint efforts through various projects, educating people, implementing the installation of cameras in the forests, using the application "Guardians of the Forest" and the like, and that it must not be allowed to destroy the enormous forest wealth due to the petty interests of individuals. which is the carrier of the economy in Rožaje.

At the end of the meeting, it was concluded that in the coming period, the cooperation between the Municipality of Rožaje and the Forestry Administration will be intensified in order to create a business environment with healthy competition in wood processing, and to protect the forest wealth from illegal activities and irresponsible individuals, with a special focus on access roads and rehabilitation roads, which will make life easier for the citizens of Rožaj.

Rožaje, May 27, 2022