Bear in the eastern Carpathians often use cavities in old trees (mostly fir) to spend the winter and give birth to cubs. According to the Habitats Directive, these areas cannot be destroyed. According to the Polish law, a protection area of 500 m around the den should be established from the 1 november to 30 april. These laws are ignored and in the meantime, a breeding habitat crucial for bears is being logged.
Read more in this article published today in Gazeta Wyborcza [in Polish] with comments by Dr. Agnieszka Sergiel: https://wyborcza.pl/7,177851,27398107,wajrak-we-wschodniej-czesci-polskich-karpat-lasy-panstwowe.html#S.W-K.C-B.3-L.1.maly