Environmental News

NEWS RELEASE
January 23, 2008

New Section of Iran-Armenia Highway
Caused Minimal Damage to Shikahogh Reserve

YEREVAN --The construction of a new section of the Iran-Armenia road that was completed at the end of 2007 caused no serious damage to the Shikahogh Forest Reserve in the Syunik region, reported the Arminfo News Agency. Only 1,500 trees were cut instead of the 20,000 oaks and 117,000 bushes and young trees that would have been sacrificed had the road been built on the originally planned route, according to Shikahogh Reserve Director Rubik Mkrtchyan.

He said 316 valuable oak, hornbeam, and beech trees were cut, and only 6.5 km of the reserve territory was encroached upon, along the reserve border where animal migrations are rarely observed. “The protests by the Armenian public, international organizations, and funders of ecological projects in the country proved useful and the government changed its plans for the original route of the project,” stated Mkrtchyan.

“One can say now that Mtnadzor Forest is saved. It is very important for the 600-700 year old trees which can be found only in that forest,” Mkrtchyan said. The original route for the Iran-Armenia highway planned for the construction of a 14 km section directly through the Shikahogh Reserve. To implement this project, 19,085 valuable trees were going to be cut.

Mkrtchyan said he submitted documentation of animal migration paths for the government’s consideration, to ensure safe highway crossing by animals. The government has not studied the possibility of building tunnels under the highway thus far, reported Arminfo.

The Shikahogh Reserve was founded in 1959. It occupies 10,000 ha on the northern foothills of Meghri Mountain in the Kapan region of Armenia. Eighteen types of flora and many animals in the reserve are identified in the Red Book of rare and endangered species.

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