Mountains surrounding Vanadzor are scalped.

Mountains surrounding Vanadzor are scalped. Trunks of felled trees and young transplants show that once there used to be a forest here. Residents of Vanadzor themselves regret that the forest was cut down. But they also frankly make excuses.

"When your child shivers with cold and begs for warmness with frozen look in the eyes you have to do something. You take an axe and go straight to the forest," says 50 year old taxi driver Samvel Galstyan.

His friend, 48 year old Vahram standing next to him adds: "The forest cutting increased after the earthquake, during the years of energy crisis. These mountains have been scalped during 10 years and decades must pass until new transplants will revive the forest. Even these days 60 to 70 percent of Vanadzor residents use firewood."

This year firewood approved for cutting costs 5000-6000 drams (about $9-$10.50) per cubic meter in Vanadzor. "Stolen" firewood costs 7000-8000 drams (about $12-$14). When firewood reaches Spitak from Vanadzor prices sharply increase and reach 18,000 drams (about $32) while in summer it cost 7000 drams (about $12).

"Many residents of Spitak keep their families by selling firewood. They take wood from forests of Lori because nothing is left in our forests any more," says resident of Spitak Karen Petrosyan

This year the price of firewood approved for cutting varies from $9 to $10.50.

And in Yerevan firewood today costs 25,000 drams (about $44). Last year it cost 10,000-12,000 drams (about $18-$21). While officially fixed price for one cubic meter of firewood still remains 5000 drams (about $9) and hasn't been changed since last year.

According to chief forester of "Vahagn" forestry Ararat Barseghyan, the reason for the price increase is conditioned by stolen firewood. He says that people manage to take stolen wood out of forests by preparing special permission licenses.

Petrosyan says: "If you have a good friend or relative it becomes easy to bring firewood to Yerevan. At traffic police posts you pay some money to policeman and you can continue your way. For conveying firewood in a truck one must spend at least $100 on bribes. A truck holds approximately 12 cubic meters of firewood."

Meanwhile, this year as a result of cooperation between the Ministry of Nature Protection of and the Police Department of Armenia, control over illegal conveying and selling the wood from the state forest reserves has been instituted. Inspections are held at firewood sales points of cities and settlements. Inspectors have been assigned round the clock duty to control the problem.

Press Secretary of the Ministry of Nature Protection Artsrun Pepanyan says that Tavish and Lori regions are mainly inspected.

"Firewood is sold by state prices only on site. What happens after that is business and the government doesn't interfere with that. We are not responsible for what is happening with the prices after that as it is already the problem of the market."

For forestry workers it is very strained period of work.

From trunks of felled trees and young transplants it becomes clear that once there used to be a forest here.

"Sometimes it happens that we don't go home at nights. Preservation of forests and struggle against illegal trees felling are now of strategic importance. At the same time wood thieves in their turn became skilful enough," says Barseghyan.

Barseghyan's "Vahagn" forestry consists of 6000 hectares. Only four foresters are working in eight guard sectors and they cannot control the whole territory. The chief forester says that he needs workers but people often refuse the work of foresters.

"During autumn and spring inspections we found trunks of recently cut trees and the chief forester must bear responsibility for that," explains Barseghyan.

At the same time he says that stealing a tree is not subtle act. However, wood thieves visit forests mainly at night. When they are caught they are fined depending on the quantity and type of stolen wood.

Criminal actions are brought against those who cut down such trees as beech, oak and pine. Penalties range from 200,000-400,000 drams (about $355-$710). In case of cutting down other types of trees administrative penalties range from 50,000-80,000 drams (about $90-$140).

Artsrun Pepanyan says that all roads are inspected, even wood paths, but people find bypass routes.

And, Pepanyan says, it is a fact that thieves can afford to payoff poorly-paid inspectors. "People must be paid well enough to work honestly," he says.

This year, some 70,000 cubic meters of firewood has been approved by the government.

The government plans to provide firewood for people living next to forests.

"According to our calculations, 600,000 people live on the territories neighboring to forests," Pepanyan says. "That's about 50,000 families. In average one family will be provided with at least 5 cubic meters of firewood, which will make 750,000 cubic meters."

Pepanyan is concerned that the forests can't bear that amount, as the amount cut is twice as much as the forests can replenish a year later. He says other methods of heating must be found.

The Ministry of Nature Protection always prohibits forests cutting. This year the ministry suggested paying Hayantar 800 million drams (about $1.4 million) from the 2003 state budget.

"With that money Hayantar would be able to cover all its expenses and wouldn't have to cut down quite a few trees," Pepanyan says. "And if you permit to cut down five trees then they fell five more trees as well. It also becomes difficult to control. When it is prohibited to fell any trees then when you see even one truck loaded with wood you will know that it is illegal."