By a Staff Reporter
THE GREEN Party yesterday presented a draft bill to the House Environment Committee urging stricter controls on the protection of forests and specific endangered trees.
Despite the consensus on the need to protect forest areas, there was some controversy regarding the Forestry Department’s jurisdiction over protected tree varieties on land not owned by the government.
Another contentious point was Green deputy Giorgos Perdikis’ suggestion that women be hired as firefighters; this is currently prohibited by law, which Perdikis described as discriminatory.
Deputies pointed out it might be unconstitutional for government authorities to intervene on privately-owned lands, and referred the issue to the Attorney-general’s office.
The bill proposes the addition of several tree varieties to the list of protected flora and fauna.
If approved, the amended law would also prohibit lighting fires to burn weed or garbage outside houses that are within one kilometer of forest areas. Moreover, the bill recommends that no protected varieties of trees be cut down unless permission is granted by the Forestry Department.
Perdikis also proposed the striking of a clause that currently ranks mining activity as a higher priority than forest protection.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
