The cases of illegal felling of trees have increased in Armenia.
Environmentalists say this has been caused by the increase in gas prices, tert.am reported on Feb. 7.
"Cases of illegal tree felling this year have increased as the higher gas prices have inflicted severe damage to our forests. Even in Yerevan wood stoves are being used again this year given the city's complete supply of gas and the fact that wood stoves have not been used for a long time. This is an indication that we have in fact regressed for almost 20 years and this is just Yerevan's case," the ecologist Inga Zarafyan.
She said that avoiding the use of gas in Armenia's regions is massive.
The ecologist also noted that the country is illegally felling trees under the guise of a planned sanitary tree felling.
"A study has been conducted and it turns out that sanitary deforestation by 70 percent is untrue and this means that very valuable and good trees are felled under the guise of this type of work," she said.
She added that according to official data this winter, the number of illegally cut trees has already exceeded the figures for last year.
"It is necessary to stop all kinds of deforestation for at least three years," Zarafyan said.
Translated by E.A.
Edited by S.M.