Armenpress
GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO HALT CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD THROUGH UNIQUE FOREST
RESERVE
KAPAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS: A cohort of top government officials,
including deputy energy minister, nature protection and transport ministers
and territorial minister traveled Tuesday to Armenian’s southern Shikahogh
reserve, the planned site of a new highway, the authorities want to build to
have a short and safe road to neighboring Iran, but ecologists warn once the
road is built it would endanger one of the country’s three pristine forest
reserves.
The new highway is planned to take a route across the Mtnadzor Forest
that covers a third of the Shikahogh reserve in southern Armenia.
Established in 1958, the reserve is inhabited by rare and endangered plants
and animals. Ecologist say at current rates of cutting, the last of the
forests could be gone in as little as 20 years, saying also that Armenia’s
forest areas have drastically reduced from 40 percent of the country w to
around eight percent.
A coalition of organizations and individuals, including the Armenia Tree
Project, Armenian Forests NGO, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Armenian
Assembly of America have been have asked the government to halt the plan
until a viable alternatives could be proposed . Ecologists fear the
construction of the proposed road through the preserve will introduce
pollution from passing vehicles into this almost pristine forest, destroy
the habitat for rare wildlife and migratory paths, and attract illegal
logging.
The government ministers traveled across the site together with Syunik
governor, who is one of the staunchest proponents of the alternative route
Transport minister Andranik Margarian told reporters the government has
already released around 9.5 million drams for earth works, saying also the
alternative route would be 2 km longer and would require more funding. After
four-hour discussions the officials agreed to halt works for a fortnight, to
prepare a feasibility plan for an alternative route and only then to make
the final decision.