Klaus first to sign petition calling for intervention against bark beetle damage

Czech President Václav Klaus has stepped into a row over South Bohemian forests, being the first to sign a petition against the Environment Ministry’s handling of a destructive bark beetle epidemic. The bark beetle has destroyed large areas of forest in the Šumava National Park, worrying both citizens and logging companies. The Ministry of the Environment however has taken a hands-off approach to the issue, saying that such epidemics are a natural part of a forest’s ecosystem.