JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the RA Ministry of Nature
Protection, the area of forest coverage of the Shirak region, as well as of
Yerevan doesn't exceed 2%. RA Minister of Nature Protection Vardan Ayvazian
stressed during his conversation with journalists in Gyumri on June 4 that this
is a serious problem. The Minister said that a new ecological program entitled
"Program of Poverty Reduction" worth a total of $16mln is to be implemented
in the Shirak and Lori regions.
According to Vardan Ayvazian, the Ministry foresees to establish a new forest
sector in the Shirak region. An attempt to allocate the current sector to communities
will be made on the first stage of the program, and then cut and forestless
zones will be restored through grants. The Minister also said that within the
framework of the program the Ministry will undertake steps to establish specially
protected territories. In particular, the zone adjacent to Lake April on the
border with Georgia, where the restoration of forests is expected, will become
such a territory.