Environment ministry bans logging in Šumava National Park

Environment Minister Martin Bursík has confirmed his decision to keep the most valuable parts of the Šumava National Park untouched. The decision includes a ban on logging in forests that were hit by a devastating windstorm last year. Several local municipalities have protested against the decision, arguing that leaving fallen trees untouched may lead to the spread of bark-beetle. Šumava National Park is the largest national park in the Czech Republic stretching along the German and Austrian border and covering 39,000 hectares of land.