About a thousand employees of Vitebsk PLKHO protect forests from illegal logging of fir trees

December 27, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. About a thousand employees of the Vitebsk Regional Production Forestry Association (PLHO) are protecting forests from illegal felling of fir trees. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent at the association. Forest patrols are carried out by both forestry workers and raid groups, in cooperation with representatives of the regional committee for natural resources and environmental protection, the tax inspectorate, the traffic police, the regional inspectorate for the protection of fauna and flora, and other interested departments. From December 27, control in the forests of Vitebsk, Shumilino, Liozno, and Senno districts will be strengthened. The surveillance will last until January 1. In total, since December 10, 59 guard posts have been organized in the region, and 135 raids have been conducted. During this period, 3 administrative protocols have been drawn up for illegal felling of New Year trees. The small number of offenders indicates an increase in the legal responsibility of the population, specialists noted. Christmas tree markets have started operating in all cities and district centers of the Vitebsk region since December 18. In the regional center, 15 sales points have been designated. The cost of a tree up to 1 m is Br10 thousand, 1-2 m - Br15 thousand, 2-3 m - Br20 thousand, 3-4 m - Br35 thousand, 4-5 m - Br60 thousand. In total, this year the region's forestry enterprises plan to sell 40 thousand fir and pine trees, 200 fir and pine bouquets (their cost will range from Br3 thousand to Br5 thousand), as well as 100 blue spruce trees in tubs. As of December 27, more than 20 thousand trees have already been sold, the main part of which are fir trees. Tree sales will continue until December 31. -0-