Within the framework of the National Forestry Program, a public discussion was held at the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture regarding proposed amendments to the Forest Code. The meeting was attended by representatives of state agencies, academia, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations.
It was noted at the meeting that the primary priority is the restoration of degraded forests and the strengthening of their physical protection. Accordingly, the proposed amendments to the Code aim to improve monitoring and control mechanisms and enhance forest protection measures. The changes also envisage the simplification of business processes and cost optimization.
“The planned amendments to the Forest Code aim to strengthen the protection of forest resources and forest areas through modern technologies and technical equipment, as well as by increasing both the number and qualifications of foresters and forest rangers. It is noteworthy that, within the framework of the reform, as of January 1, 2026, with the support of the Government of Georgia, salaries in this sector have been significantly increased. At the same time, greater involvement of the commercial sector is planned, along with enhanced transparency of activities and cost optimization, in order to establish a competitive market and make forest resources more accessible to entrepreneurs,” stated Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Zurab Ezugbaia.
According to the draft law, the function of physical forest protection will return to the National Forestry Agency. The addition of 401 forest rangers is envisaged, which will reduce the area under protection per ranger from 10,000–15,000 hectares to an average of 2,000 hectares. To increase the effectiveness of forest protection and monitoring, the technical re-equipment of the National Forestry Agency with modern technological tools is also planned.
The draft law also предусматриes a change to the existing model of timber harvesting and sales. In state forests, timber harvesting will be carried out by auction winners under the supervision of the Agency.
In addition, an electronic system for the management of timber resources will be established to ensure full registration of timber use, transportation, and primary processing. The circle of entities eligible for special forest use will be expanded, and the right to use non-timber resources will be granted not only to legal entities but also to individual entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, the regulation of forest status for privately owned naturally forested areas will move to a more flexible legal framework. Following the completion of systematic land registration and forest management works, the issue will be resolved gradually.
Participants of the public discussion positively assessed the strengthening of human and technical resources in forest protection, noting that this represents an important step forward toward sustainable forest management. At the same time, opinions were expressed, including regarding the new model for timber harvesting and sales. The parties agreed that discussions will continue in the future to ensure that the positions and interests of all stakeholders are taken into account.
