As of May 8, 115 trees had been illegally chopped down on the shore of the Lake Sevan peninsula, a popular destination site for tourists and vacationers.

Once the alarm was sounded, Sevan police moved in and halted the men swinging axes from chopping down more trees since they didn't have the proper permits in their possession.

It seems that the tree felling is part of a recent move by the government to set up a public beach on the lake shore that would not charge people to take a refreshingly cool dip in Sevan's blue waters.

Presently, practically every square inch of the shoreline has been privatized and one has to pay to even approach the shoreline. It seems that an existing problem is being made worse despite the "good" intentions of the government.