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Estonian Environmental Inspectorate monitors compliance with forest legislation, register violations, assess the environmental damage and illegal logging volume and impose fine on the culprits. Thefts of wood from forest and log-yards are also monitored by the Police and Border Guard Board. In violation of forest protection legislation two cases can be distinguished: illegal logging and other forest violations. Illegal logging is logging performed in violation of local legislation that causes environmental damage. Other forest violations means forest protection violations (48% of all violations), violation of trade regulations (26%), violation of logging premissions (23%) and violation of trantsport (3%). Comparsion of private forest owners illegal action with thieves shows that the number of forest violations have been more or less at the same level. In recent years illegal logging has been detected only in some counties and there are counties where it does not exist at all. In year 2009 the amount of wood harvested illegaly, in violation of forest protection legislation is merely 354 m³. As seen on the Figure 1, the volume of illegal logging in Estonia has decreased in recent years and in year 2009 it accounted for less than 0,004 percent of total logging. This is the result of efficient operational supervision carried out by Environmental Inspectorate in co-operation with Estonian Tax and Customs Board as well as counseling and versatile suporting of private forest owners, that has increased their knowledges of sustainable forest management likewise awareness of forest legislation. Table 1 gives a brief, but adequate overview of violation of forest protection regulations from year 2002 till 2009. Data has been collected by the environmental protection supervisiory authorities that include Environmental Inspectorate and Police. The number of illegal logging offences has been separated from other forest violations. Percentages for all illegal logging by volume in state forest has been added. The amount of illegally harvested wood is shown in cubic meters (m³). Table 1 also shows thefts of wood from forest and log-yards that are recorded by the Police and Border Guard Board. Police data does not show damage to environment as Inspectorate does, instead it shows financial loss for the forest owner.
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