Armenia’s Environmental and Mining Inspectorate has confirmed the illegal felling of 27 trees in the Khosrov State Forest Reserve.

Reports of the illegal logging were first reported by former reserve employee Artur Artashesyan.

Artashesyan told Hetq that the logging was done in the Chardakhor section of the Khosrov section at the end of March and early April. 

According to his calculations, the number of cut trees exceeded 32. "Even a shrub cannot be trampled in that reserve, but we see that a chainsaw is working," Artashesyan said.

Out of concern for the person’s safety, Artashesyan did not say who gave him photos of the tree cutting.

Mr. Artashesyan worked in the Khachadzor section of Khosrov Reserve from 2018-2019 as an entry gate guard

He says that tress have always been chopped down in the reserve, and that even workers at the gate have burned wood to keep warm in the winter.

 "They never even let us use electric heaters in winter . We always burned wet trees. The forest warden brought the trees from the near the river. The director said, in the presence of the head of the staff, I gave permission for the trees to be cut. How many heads does the director have to allow trees to be cut,” Artashesyan said.

Artur Artashesyan says he always raised the issue and  noted details of the logging in the official registry, but that nothing was ever done nor those responsible prosecuted. 

Artashesyan claims that a bear was killed in the reserve last summer and that he reported the incident.  

“There was no follow-up, nothing has been done. That is why I was forced to write a letter of resignation. I averted writing it for ten days, but I finally submitted the letter. I told them they would be responsible for the consequences. They said I could do whatever I wanted. Now, twenty people visit me every day.  They want me to reconcile. I can never go back,” he said.

Ararat Badalyan, a senior inspector at the Ararat Regional Division, recently conducted a search at the Chardakhlu site. 

Badalyan told Hetq they had inspected the site on May 27 and found 27 felled trees He says that three people confessed to the crime and that each paid  and 80,000 drams in fines for fourteen felled trees. The Inspectorate has requested that the Vedi Police Department look for those who logged the other thirteen.

Badalyan says that young men from Vedi and Urtsadzor are cutting the trees, adding that the culprits have even shown inspectors the cut trees. 

The inspectorate has calculated that the total damage of the 27 felled trees amounts to 512,000 drams to 27 sections of trees. 

Mr. Badalyan says that three men have paid 207,000 drams in compensation. The remaining 305,000 drams hasn’t been paid since the culprits for felling the other tress haven’t been found. 

The Ararat Police Department has decided not to launch a criminal case, arguing that a crime wasn’t committed.  

Photos courtesy of Artur Artashesyan