The remuneration of the National Forest Guard management is approximately €5,000 per month. In an official response to FACIAS, it was revealed that, in addition to their substantial incomes, the heads of the Forest Guard benefit from company cars and paid accommodation, amounting to €12,000 per mandate.
An analysis of the budget reveals that the personnel costs of the National Forest Guard almost doubled in a single year. Specifically, the institution allocated over 3.8 million lei for salaries in 2023, whereas in 2024, the amount increased to over 6.7 million lei. Consequently, the mean gross salary within the Forest Guard is 14,730 lei.
Although the Forest Guard's management and employees benefit from privileged conditions, Romania's forests are experiencing alarming levels of illegal logging. According to statistical data, the annual volume of illegally felled trees in Romania is estimated to be approximately 20 million cubic metres.
It is evident that, despite the institution's documented commitment to reducing illegal logging as a performance indicator, there is a conspicuous absence of tangible progress in this regard. The institution's performance is also analysed using additional indicators, including the increase in forested areas through afforestation and reforestation actions, the increase in wildlife numbers through repopulation, and the reduction in poaching through controls and sanctions.
The reality on the ground shows that these indicators are far from being met. According to data provided by Romsilva, the financial loss resulting from illegal logging activities during the initial nine months of 2024 alone exceeded 7.3 million lei. Concurrently, Romania's forested area has expanded by a mere 0.3% over the past decade, a figure 30 times less than the 0.9% annual increase recommended by the Romanian Academy as far back as 2016. Concurrently, the volume of legally felled trees far exceeds the benchmarks set by experts, reaching over 11 million during the same period. When these figures are combined with estimates of illegal logging as reported by Greenpeace, the situation appears to be extremely concerning.
The "Turn off the waste tap" campaign run by FACIAS aims to draw attention to the colossal waste of public funds and to make the authorities accountable for the efficient and transparent management of public money.