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PRESS RELEASE
June 25, 2007

Armenia Tree Project Distributes Action Alert to Save Teghut Forest

Click here to read the press release in Armenian.

The village of Teghut, with its acres of virgin forest and rich ecosystem in northern Armenia, is home to hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, and plants, including many that are registered in the International Red Book of Endangered Species.

An action alert opposes a strip mining project that will result in the loss of 1,500 acres of Teghut Forest and the creation of a “tailing dump” where toxins from mining waste will leach into the river flowing through the gorge, leading to the type of contamination seen in Akhtala, where a 13th century church stands above the leaking copper tailing dump

Armenian Copper Program (ACP) has plans to clear-cut 1,500 acres of this forest in order to establish an open pit strip mining operation for copper and molybdenum ore. In addition, ACP plans to create a “tailing dump” in a nearby gorge, where heavy metals and other toxins from mining waste will leach into the ground and into the river flowing through the gorge, ultimately contaminating the water supply.

Two years ago, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and a number of organizations and individuals worked together to save the Shikahogh Nature Reserve in southern Armenia from destruction, and now the organization is joining environmentalists and friends in Armenia and in the Diaspora to save Teghut Forest.

On June 20, ATP issued an action alert by email to thousands of its supporters and colleagues, urging them to send letters to President Robert Kocharian to convince him to protect this national treasure from destruction at the hands of a mining company.

“What do we know about Armenian Copper Program’s track record? ACP owns the Alaverdi Smelter, which processes copper ore for a consortium of mining companies in the region,” states ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian in the appeal. “The Alaverdi smelter, notorious for belching tens of thousands of tons of sulfur oxides annually into the atmosphere, is having disastrous effects on the health and well-being of the local population.”

Since the smelter’s re-opening in the late 1990’s, the town of Alaverdi has seen a dramatic increase in the number of reported cases of respiratory disease, sterility, and birth defects. The smelter has no emission controls, and the company claims to be unable to afford the cost of installing them.

ACP’s initial plans for developing and exploiting the Teghut mine have received approval by the Ministry of Nature Protection, despite the fact that they will destroy one of Armenia’s most treasured landscapes and clear cut a forest in a nation with less than eight percent forest cover.

“ATP is a member of SOS Teghut, a consortium of 26 organizations that supports the need for sustainable economic development in the country, but opposes development that will leave the land permanently degraded and poisoned,” continues Masarjian. “ACP claims that the government will receive $8 million per year in taxes and payments in return for the right to exploit this mine. But are we to allow Armenia’s precious forest to be destroyed, the surrounding rivers and springs to be contaminated, and the agricultural lands adjacent to the mine to be poisoned for short-term economic gains?”

“Rather than destroy the Teghut Forest, we propose that it be made into a Nature Reserve as part of a concerted effort to develop sustainable tourism in the valley. Tourism is a sustainable form of economic development that benefits the local population without causing permanent damage to the environment. Teghut could attract people from around the world who want to see the rich landscape, biodiversity, and cultural heritage that is unique to this area,” concludes Masarjian in the appeal.

Below is the letter that was sent to President Kocharian as part of the Teghut Forest Action Alert:

President Robert Kocharian
c/o Ambassador Tatoul Markarian
2225 R Street NW
Washington, DC 20008

Your Excellency,

I am writing to urge you to use the power of your office to protect and preserve the endangered ecosystem of Teghut from complete destruction by permanently designating it as a Nature Reserve.

Armenian Copper Program’s (ACP) proposed copper and molybdenum strip mine would destroy over 600 hectares of pristine forest that provides habitats for many rare and endangered species in the Lori region. Given that Armenia is losing its forests at an alarming rate, this region must be protected.

In addition to the planned deforestation, ACP will eventually poison the area with toxic waste. The proposed tailing dump, slated for the nearby Kharatadzor gorge, will leach heavy metal waste into the ground water and pollute the nearby river, which flows into neighboring countries.

ACP’s environmental record is abysmal. The company’s mismanagement of the Alaverdi Smelter is an international tragedy and embarrassment for Armenia. The company never installed emission controls at the plant, and the local population has been suffering from severe health problems, including respiratory illnesses, sterility of women, and severe birth defects.

I support the need for economic development in Armenia, but not at the expense of the nation's ecological integrity. Armenia’s long-term national security is directly tied to the health of the environment and its ability to sustain the nation's population. Alternative and sustainable economic development projects that are successful in other parts of the world, such as Ecotourism, could invigorate the local economy by attracting international visitors to the country. But a decimated forest with a nearby waste dump will not attract tourists; in fact, they will only attract criticism and dishonor to those who allowed such blight to occur under their leadership.

As Armenia’s scientists have shown, the Teghut Forest provides unique habitats for many rare and endangered plants and animals whose survival depends upon the government's responsible stewardship.

I call on you to protect the Teghut Forest by declaring it a permanent Nature Reserve, for the sake of future generations of Armenians.

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