Before proper laws were enforced, private individuals treated forests as their own property. They believed that by paying a small tax, they had the right to cut wood freely or make clearings. No one questioned their actions, and the idea of public interest in forestry did not exist.
Early Attempts at Regulation
In 1869, during the Ottoman rule, the Turkish Government issued a law to regulate forest use. However, the law was largely ignored, except for a few clauses applied in certain regions. The majority of forests remained unprotected Private Tours Bulgaria.
As a result, by the time Bulgaria became free from Ottoman control, the once vast virgin forests had shrunk dramatically. Only small areas remained, and many were thinned or damaged.
Impact of the Russo-Turkish War
The Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) further destroyed the remaining forests. Many of the few areas left intact were cut down completely, turning large forested regions into wasteland.
Early Bulgarian Forest Laws
The first official measure by the Bulgarian Government to protect forests was the ordinance of December 20, 1878, issued by the Ministry of Finance. The ordinance instructed provincial governors to appoint forest keepers to manage and protect forest lands.
In the following years, several new laws and orders were introduced:
In 1879, taxes were levied on all forests, whether state-owned, communal, or private.
In 1880, the export of wood was prohibited to prevent forest depletion, following the example of neighboring countries.
Special instructions were issued to collect seeds for reforestation, define areas allowed for felling, and prevent incendiarism, monopolies, and destructive exploitation.
Limited Success
Despite these efforts, the measures did not produce the desired results. Many rural people continued their old habits, cutting wood as before. Forest destruction continued, and Bulgaria’s forests remained vulnerable and reduced.