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Felling in Gougark forest acquires a scandalous nature
2010-09-14 14:38:00
ArmInfo. The situation with felling in Gougark forest acquires a
scandalous nature like confrontation between green activists and
authorities, Ecolur reported.
Late in August youth green movement activists disseminated information
and photos in the press on wide- scale felling in Gougark forestry
enterprise near "Lori" Rest House where trucks with and without number
plates are taking away timber.
Inspection and supervisory bodies also got involved in this matter,
but check results didn't satisfy eye- witness Vahe Vardoumyan who
submitted certain proof: more trees have been cut down than the State
Environmental Inspection of the Ministry of Nature Protection has
recorded.
Center for Forest Monitoring invited the activists to conduct in that
particular area. Henceforth almost a detective story begins. On 9
September, at about 21:30, youth green movement activist Mariam
Sukhudyan phoned EcoLur who said they were left not only without
people who accompanied them, but also without car with their
equipment, documents and money in the forest. She also said, the
police showed up there and pressure was exercised both on activists
and journalists: the main aim was to make activists hide the factual
scale of felling. According to Mariam, they had detected 116 cut down
trees, and, as a matter of fact, the number of these trees is more,
just neighbouring territories should be examined as well.
EcoLur contacted with the Center for Forest Monitoring, where we were
assured "everything will be o.k." After an hour we phoned and the
center representative tuned out to be with activists.
Judging by the fact that on 10 September activists publicized the
incident, they didn't manage to come to an agreement.
One question is left: why it was necessary to involve activists in the
joint monitoring, if they actually needed to hide the felling scale,
whether the pressure exercised was unauthorized activity at local
level, or it was an order given from above. As a matter of fact, one
thing is clear: public got focused on forest, and in this situation we
should do our best not to allow the forest to become token money and
to preserve the forest as one of the most valuable natural resources
which we have been destroying successively for almost 20 years, Ecolur
reported.
From: A. Papazian
2010-09-14 14:38:00
ArmInfo. The situation with felling in Gougark forest acquires a
scandalous nature like confrontation between green activists and
authorities, Ecolur reported.
Late in August youth green movement activists disseminated information
and photos in the press on wide- scale felling in Gougark forestry
enterprise near "Lori" Rest House where trucks with and without number
plates are taking away timber.
Inspection and supervisory bodies also got involved in this matter,
but check results didn't satisfy eye- witness Vahe Vardoumyan who
submitted certain proof: more trees have been cut down than the State
Environmental Inspection of the Ministry of Nature Protection has
recorded.
Center for Forest Monitoring invited the activists to conduct in that
particular area. Henceforth almost a detective story begins. On 9
September, at about 21:30, youth green movement activist Mariam
Sukhudyan phoned EcoLur who said they were left not only without
people who accompanied them, but also without car with their
equipment, documents and money in the forest. She also said, the
police showed up there and pressure was exercised both on activists
and journalists: the main aim was to make activists hide the factual
scale of felling. According to Mariam, they had detected 116 cut down
trees, and, as a matter of fact, the number of these trees is more,
just neighbouring territories should be examined as well.
EcoLur contacted with the Center for Forest Monitoring, where we were
assured "everything will be o.k." After an hour we phoned and the
center representative tuned out to be with activists.
Judging by the fact that on 10 September activists publicized the
incident, they didn't manage to come to an agreement.
One question is left: why it was necessary to involve activists in the
joint monitoring, if they actually needed to hide the felling scale,
whether the pressure exercised was unauthorized activity at local
level, or it was an order given from above. As a matter of fact, one
thing is clear: public got focused on forest, and in this situation we
should do our best not to allow the forest to become token money and
to preserve the forest as one of the most valuable natural resources
which we have been destroying successively for almost 20 years, Ecolur
reported.
From: A. Papazian