EcoLur
ArmForest and Agriculture Ministry of Armenia initiate investment a business program in the forest sector. Tavush Region is selected as a basis for introduction of such a program. The essence is that the business must submit a plan, how much timber it need, as well as supposed investment for processing of that particular amount of timber.
When Ecolur asked “ArmForest” SNCO Director Martoun Matevosyan, whether he is not afraid that we will lose our forests at all, he said the main objective of this program is to bring the business in the frames of law.
“We don’t have forests of industrial significance. What about sanitary felling, in the radius of 5-6 km of forest communities, you can’t find a forest where you can obtain industrial timber,” said Tavush Regional Administration Employee in his interview with EcoLur.
According to him, available forest is over. You have to go somewhere with no roads with forests growing on steep slopes. “Forest is left only there,” he said. If roads continue running, forests will naturally be cut down more.”
What about the proposal to legalize felling in the form of a business program, i.e. to increase their factual amount by dozen times, this proposal is not a new one. It is not excluded this proposal comes from the World Bank, as its experts think it’s better to legalize felling getting permitted amount up to the factual. The practice shown that such proposals from the WB are made only based on the interests of commerce, and the WB is not interested in other issues such as forest conservation or locals’ interests. Thus, upon WB experts’ proposal were approved management plans for Dilijan and Sevan National Parks, and as a result, nothing was left to national parks, but successful restaurants and hotels on the leased land areas or seized land areas with a leasing term of 50 years and over. All these were formulated under well-drawn up business plans. Now they proceeded to forest.
No one in the communities located next to forest is suspicious oligarchs will start dealing with this. “We will leave, but business and hired workers,” said residents of communities located next to forest. They think such a program is necessary for those who intend to get to it.
March 02, 2011