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One of Primorye’s two national parks ‘Udegeiskaya Legenda’ located in the Krasnoarmeisky County has recently suffered from massive forest cuttings, the unlawful permission being issued by Primorye’s administration forestry department.

The inspections performed by the regional environmental watchdogs and ecological organizations, and joined by officials of the county’s administration, revealed numerous cases of illegal logging in the territory of the park, Primorye's ecological Phoenix Fund reported in a statement.

The inspections on December 5 and 7 showed that a total of 316.5 cubic meters of various tree species were chopped down, including such precious species like oaks and ash-trees. The raid on December 19 disclosed another 28.8 cubic meters of cut down oak trees. The total damage has been estimated at 25.8 million rubles ($1.06 million).

The illegal cutting was performed by local Roshchinsky logging company, which received permission from Primorye’s Forestry Department. According to Phoenix Fund General Director Sergei Bereznyuk, Primorye’s administration forestry department is not authorized to issue permission for timber cuttings in the national park. However, Roshchinsky managed to extend its permission up to February 2008.

Phoenix Fund specialists have addressed Russian Natural Resources Ministry's environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor urging to introduce state control over ‘Udegeiskaya Legenda’. The Park located in northern Primorye has a total area of 88,600 hectares. It was created last June to serve as a reserved area for the culture of the Udege people, natives of Primorye few in number.

The prosecutor’s office has launched a criminal investigation into the case of timber cuttings in the park zone, the statement said.

Today, Primorye is one of the highly biodiverse areas in the Russian Far East, with preserved territories representing 12.3 percent of the total area. The region’s reserves, national parks and federal special nature reserve make up 5.8 percent of its territories, the largest percentage in Russia’s Siberia and Far East.

On Friday Russia will celebrate Day of Nature Reserves.