Mass wood felling registered in Sochi National Park

363 trees have been cut down in the Sochi National Park, on the Grushevoy Ridge, in the vicinity Senokosnaya Meadow. The Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus reports, with reference to employees of the Sochi State Wildlife Reserve, that the area, where trees were cut, makes several hectares.

Andrei Rudomakha, coordinator of the Ecological Watch, explains that the list of liquidated trees includes "174 alders, 114 hornbeams, 53 sycamore maples, 10 elms, 4 beeches, 4 maples, 2 oaks and 1 sweet cherry. Certain cut-down trees had diameter of more than one meter. Sycamore maples and sweet cherries are the wood species forbidden for felling."

In the context of the incident, ecologists sent official letters to Russian Vice-Premier Dmitri Kozak and Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology Yuri Trutnev asking them to inspect the legality of mass wood-cutting in the territory adjacent to the object of World Heritage "Western Caucasus". According to ecologists, the wood-cutting and removal were made under the orders issued by the Sochi National Park. Currently, the works in that area are over.

In the opinion of Mr Rudomakha, the mass character of felling has confirmed that its aim was to clear up the territory for construction. In its turn, it is evidence that economic operations in the Grushevoy Ridge are not only planned but actually started.