Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) has been keeping you informed of the situation with the its Fast Growing Tree Project in Armenia during last year.  We are please to announce that we were able to get back the nursery in Armavier, which is approximately one hectare of land from 14 hectares of land that is illegally taken by the minister of finance.

Survival of this nursery is essential for the future of the fast growing trees in Armenia.  Samples from all 53 types of the fast growing poplars that have been imported to Armenia are planted in this nursery.  This success was results of numerous letters and e-mails to the late prime minister of Armenia and support of the new governor of the Armavier Marz.  However, we still trying to get back the reminder of 13 hectares.  Attached are two write-ups in Armenian and English that provide some details about the project.

We have submitted a letter to the new prime minister of Armenia that provide history and details of the Fast growing Tree Project and issues related to the illegal confiscation of the land.  We think that at this junction it is important for the new prime minister of Armenia to become aware of the situation related to this project.  We would like to ask for your support one more time to saving this project.  We will greatly appreciate if you send your protest letters to the prime minister and request that he takes actions to return the confiscated land. We are convinced that with your support, we should be able to take back the confiscated land and end to this injustice. We suggest that you copy your letters and e-mails to the US ambassador in Yerevan. You can send your letters to the following addresses:

Mr. Serzh Sargsyan 
Prime Minister 
Government Building 1 
Republic Square 
Yerevan, Armenia 
e-mail: [email protected]      

Mr. Rudolph Perina 
Ambassador 
US Embassy 
1 American Avenue
Yerevan 0082, Armenia 
e-mail: [email protected]

Or you can visit web site of the Armenia Government and fill out the comment box provided there at the following web address: http://www.gov.am/enversion/feed_back.htm 

Another alternative is to visit AESA’s web site, use the sample protest letter, and e-mail it directly to the prime minister.
http://www.aesa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=1 

Sample letter to PM: 

Honorable Mr. Sargsyan, 
I would like to express my concern and dismay regarding the situation with the Fast Growing Tree Project in Armenia.  This project, which has been organized and financed, by the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) is in jeopardy due to the actions of some government officials.  It is absolutely unacceptable for a minister to take over part of the land almost free and then sell it.  The fast growing trees were planted 10 years ago and have been maintained with hard work and a large financial investment.

It has been my understanding that after several months of investigations by the government officials, this illegal land take over has not yet been rectified and only one heater out of 14 hectares have been returned.  I demand that you take swift action resolving this issue and return the land to the project operators.  The Government of Armenia must be the protector of such important project that is sponsored by the Diaspora.

Fast Growing Tree Project In Armenia

It has been now 16 years that Armenia is free and the Diaspora has been actively supporting Armenia by sending money and initiating projects to strengthen its independence and improve the economic situation. This write up provides background information regarding the Fast Growing Tree Project in Armenia, its accomplishments, and the illegal takeover by some government officials which jeopardized some parts of this project.

Background

In 1994, the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America (AESA) based in Glendale, California and the Institute of Botany of the Armenian Academy of Sciences embarked on a project to introduce fast growing hybrid poplar trees in Armenia, which can be used as firewood or as soft wood lumber. These trees can satisfy the need for wood instead of cutting old trees from established forests. A few years later, the Armenian Forest Service (Hay Andar) also joined the project team.

Approximately 130,000 US and Canadian hybrid poplar cuttings from 53 different hybrid poplar clones have been imported into Armenia and planted in different sites in Armenia since 1994. The two major plantations are in Armavier (Ararat Valley). Approximately 17,000 cuttings of selected six clones were planted on 24 hectares during spring of 1998 and approximately 23,000 cuttings of selected five clones were planted on 28 hectares in the spring of 1999.

These trees were planted using 10-inch long cuttings and they grow to be 6-foot tall in about seven months. Trees that were planted in 1994 and 1995 in Armenia are now 45 to 55-foot high. Wood produced from the fast growing hybrid poplars could be used by the furniture manufacturers in Armenia, who normally import almost all the wood needed. Agro-forestry is a viable option for Armenia because Armenia has very limited soil suitable for the agricultural use.

Trees that are planted for production on plantations are planted widely enough to allow intercropping of traditional crops such as cabbages, tomatoes, melons, alfalfa, etc. between the trees.

Financing

This project is financed by the AESA, and locally managed by the Institute of Botany. AESA has funded the planting and the maintenance expenses for all the test plantations, as well as the purchase of a tractor, a mower, and two submerged irrigation pumps. The Lincy Foundation has been one of the major contributors to this project. In addition, ACDI/VOCA has financed 15 travel expenses to Armenia by the U.S. specialists. CRDF has also given a grant for analyzing the heat content of the different hybrid poplar clones. USDA has provided technical support for this project and several thousand cuttings. University of Washington and Washington State University have also provided staff that has traveled to Armenia to provide assistance for this project. Oakridge National Laboratory has supported this project by sending one of their experts to Armenia to evaluate biomass potential in Armenia.

Improving Soil Salinity

Another objective of the Fast Growing Tree Project is to determine the feasibility of large scale, short rotation plantations in parts of the Ararat Valley, which have saline soil. Several types of poplar trees have shown encouraging growth rates in the saline soil, which presently is not used for agricultural purposes. These salt tolerant hybrid poplar plantations in conjunction with special halophytes could lower salinity after several years by lowering the underground water table. It is estimated that more than 30,000 hectares of land in the Ararat Valley could be used for commercial crops if salinity of soil were reduced. Besides hybrid poplars, various salt tolerant plants (halophytes) as well as fast growing pine, birch, ash, and oak have also been introduced to Armenia as part of this project.

The Problem 

Parts of the plantations in Armavier that were developed with a large investment are now in jeopardy due to the unlawful takeover by government officials in Armenia. Land where these plantations are established belonged to Armenian Forest Service (Hay Andar). In December of 2004, Armenian Forest Service dissolved their organization in Armavier region. All the land excluding the 52 hectares should have been given to the governor’s office for distribution to local farmers. Government’s decree 128 dated December 8, 2004 clearly indicates that the ownership of 52 hectares where the fast growing trees are planted plus 3000 square meters of land where the water well is must be given to the Armenian Institute of Botany to continue the experiment of the fast growing hybrid poplars. 

In early 2005, the previous governor of Armavier region appealed this decision and claimed that this land should also be divided and sold to the local farmers. AESA, Armenian Forest Service, Ministry of Agricultural, Ministry of the Environmental Protection, and National Academy of Sciences protested against the governor’s request about destroying the plantation and selling the land. They had written letters to the Prime Minister requesting that the governor’s appeal to be denied and land ownership to be given to the Institute of Botany. After consideration of all the facts, the Armenian Government denied the governor’s request. 

After government’s confirmation of the land ownership, the county recorder started to put different types of hurdles about transferring the ownership of the land to the Institute of Botany. First they were claiming that boundaries were not clear and a new survey was needed. Then, there were some requests of payment for expediting the transfer of ownership which was denied by the Institute of Botany. Finally it became apparent that all of these were smoke screens to sell big chunks of land released by the Forest Service to some governmental officials. Approximately 80 hectares of land was sold to the minister of finance at a shockingly low price. The land deed was issued under a relative’s name, and a few months later it was sold to a friend of the minister. 

Approximately 13 hectares bearing the best trees in the fast growing tree plantation and the nursery where Institute of Botany had planted all 53 types of hybrid poplars for the future reproduction were part of these 80 hectares that was given to the Minister of Finance. We have strong reason to believe that the new owners would most likely cut the trees, sell them, and then sell the land. Evidence of this unlawful takeover of the land was presented to the late Prime Minister as well as office of the speaker of the Parliament, Land Governing Minister, and Foreign Minister. The US Embassy and the Millennium Challenge Corporation representatives in Yerevan were also notified about this situation. Since protection of the trees is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Environmental Protection, they were also notified and made aware of our concern regarding the plans to cut trees. Numerous protest letters and e-mails were sent to the government officials from Armenians in Armenia and the Diaspora. As a result of these and the assistance of the new governor of Armavier, the one hectare of the land where the nursery is located, was returned. Destruction of the nursery where all 53 imported clones of the hybrid fast growing trees are planted would have been a disastrous loss. This nursery should be used to supply needs for establishing fast growing tree plantations at different parts of Armenia. Cutting for these 53 types were sent to Armenia via airlift from the US and Canada with major difficulties and expenses.

It should also be mentioned that the governor’s office has offered to give the Institute of Botany some land nearby, instead of the confiscated parts of the plantations. However, the land that was offered is a barren land that cannot be of any use for the project. 

Summary 

The situation facing the Fast Growing Tree project can repeat itself to any other project initiated and supported by the Armenian Diaspora. We are asking your assistance in resolving this issue. This is a clear indication of the level of corruption at the high levels of the Armenian government where some officials take the ownership of the land virtually free, and then turn around and sell it for a large profit. Armenia has enormous potential for advancement, but corruption could seriously hinder such advancement and progress. Please send your protest letters and e-mails to the Armenian Government and demand that they save the Fast Growing Tree Project. We suggest that you address your correspondences to the Prime Minister and copy them to the US Ambassador in Yerevan.

Mr. Serzh Sargsyan 
Prime Minister 
Government Building 1 Republic Square Yerevan, Armenia 
e-mail: [email protected]  

Mr. Rudolph Perina 
Ambassador 
US Embassy 1 American Avenue Yerevan 0082, Armenia 
e-mail: [email protected]

See also: Land Grabbed from Villagers