The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture is stepping up enforcement against the cutting of box trees as the Palm Sunday holiday approaches.

According to the Ministry’s press office, cutting, uprooting or damaging box tree branches is a punishable offence. Fines have been increased and now range from 500 to 2,000 Georgian lari. Where the environmental damage caused exceeds 1,000 lari, the matter is referred for criminal prosecution.

“In connection with the Palm Sunday celebrations, the National Forestry Agency wishes to remind the public that box tree material may only be obtained from privately owned nurseries and artificially cultivated plantations, based on a certificate of origin issued by the relevant local authority. The Colchic box tree is a protected species listed on the Red List, and its extraction from state forest land is strictly prohibited.

The National Forestry Agency once again calls on the public not to break the law, as in previous years, strict sanctions prescribed by law will be applied to every detected violation,” said Besik Amiranashvili, Head of the National Forestry Agency.

It is worth noting that the illegal felling of box trees has posed a particularly serious problem nationwide for several years. In addition to pathogenic fungi, Colchic box tree groves of natural origin have faced a severe threat from an invasive pest, the box tree moth.

Since 2016, the National Forestry Agency has implemented comprehensive management strategies in damaged Colchic box tree groves within its jurisdiction. These efforts include pest and disease control as well as dedicated conservation initiatives to protect and preserve the species. Significantly, as a result of measures implemented over the years, pest populations have been markedly reduced.