CASES OF ILLEGAL FELLINGS OF TREES INCREASE PARALLEL WITH RISE OF TEMPERATURE

Noyan Tapan
Mar 06 2007

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, NOYAN TAPAN. A number of violations of nature
protection legislation were found during checkings carried out
by employees of Nature Protection Inspection of RA Ministry of
Nature Protection on March 2-3. As Marzpet Kamalian, Deputy Head of
Inspection, reported at the March 6 press conference, eight cars
illegally transporting firewood were found in the forest areas of
Ijevan. It was also mentioned that inspectors found a case of illegal
deforestation in the same forest area, at which the area’s forester
was present. In M. Kamalian’s words, those breaking the law managed
to fell 120 c/m firewood and 80 c/m timber. Besides, inspectors found
a car loaded with firewood on Yerevan-Vanadzor highway. "Though they
had documents given by Noyemberian forest economy, nevertheless,
that forest economy has no permission to fell trees, so the firewood
is illegal," the Deputy Head of Inspection said. It was mentioned
that valuable high-quality trees – beech tree, hornbeam, oak tree
were mainly cut down. The respective materials are being prepared for
the last two breaches of law for instroducing them to law enforcement
bodies. Hrayr Antonian, Head of Forests Control Department, declared
that checkings will be held more frequently henceforth, parallel with
rise of temperature. It was also mentioned that 37 criminal cases
were instituted during checkings implemented in 2006.