National Forestry Agency unveils 61 cases of illegal logging in June

The National Forestry Agency of Georgia this week said its employees had uncovered 61 cases of illegal logging and timber transportation taking place in various regions of the country in June.

The facts were detected by employees of regional forestry services operated by the Agency and Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.

The breakdown of the illegal logging incidents was as follows:

• Kvemo Kartli region - 19 cases of illegal logging
• Kakheti region - 11 cases
• Guria region - 11 cases
• Shida Kartli region - 8 cases 
• Samtskhe-Javakheti region - 7 cases
• Imereti region - 5 cases

The amount of illegally harvested timber totaled 56,639 cubic metres, the Agency said.

The body and the Department of Environmental Supervision also identified four unregistered sawmills within state forest territories in Samtskhe-Javakheti, Imereti, Kvemo Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti regions.

The body added it sealed the sawmills as well as 24,729 cubic metres of lumber and 26,387 cubic metres of firewood.

The Agency detected a total of 436 cases of illegal logging and timber transportation across the country between January and June.