These are photos recently taken showing pine trees being cut down within the borders of the RoA Arzakan-Meghradzor Nature Reserve. This forested area stretches along the highway leading to Hankavan. Hundreds of trees that had been planted years ago are now being systematically felled in the so-called nature reserve. Local residents are unaware that the area is actually a state-protected reserve, but even if they were it doesn’t appear that such information would make much of a difference since no one is actually patrolling the place. Anyone with an axe can easily enter the reserve and begin to denude it of trees. Arsen Gasbaryan, President of the Young Biologists’ Association" has sent copies of the photos to the Minister of Nature Protection, urging the government to take swift action to halt the felling of trees.