The Chamber of Deputies adopted on Wednesday, November 27, a project allowing forest rangers to carry lethal or non-lethal service guns. The project amends a draft law on changing the status of forestry personnel initiated by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE), local G4media.ro reported.

According to another amendment, the forestry staff retiring at the standard age benefit from a bonus equal to at least 5 gross wages, supported by the employer.

The Chamber of Deputies gave the final vote on this project.

The Parliament’s decision comes amid an alarming growth in the number of cases of aggression against forest rangers in Romania. A total of 16 such cases have been registered this year alone, according to data from the state-owned forest management company Romsilva, and between 2014 and 2018 there were 168 other such attacks. In most of these cases the forest rangers were hospitalized, as they were seriously injured.

In October this year, 37-year old forest ranger Liviu Pop was found dead in the forest, and initial reports suggested that he was shot by lumber thieves.

newsroom@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Pixabay.com)