The officials in the Nizhny Novgorod region faced questions about the legality of cutting into a protected natural monument known as Smirnovskie Dachas. Local media coverage highlighted statements from the regional government press service, which has been closely tracking the issue. Attribution: regional government press service.
The regional government’s press office, citing the regional Ministry of Ecology, reported that the initial cut impacted 13 hectares, with the possibility of extending up to 16 hectares under current plans. Attribution: regional government press service.
According to the monument’s official documentation, permissible activities at Smirnovskie Dachas include work to ensure the operation and repair of existing linear facilities and engineering networks, provided these actions receive approval from the designated executive authority. In practice within the Nizhny Novgorod region, such actions can involve temporary or permanent tree removal. The documented approved felling area listed was 15.9 hectares. Environmental researchers associated with the regional State Budgetary Institution Ecology of the Region indicated that the coordinates in the current records show a deforested area of 13 hectares, as reported by the press service. Attribution: regional government press service.
On the ground, environmental activists describe ongoing work within Smirnovskie Dachas. They contend that more than 20 hectares of trees and shrubs have already been removed, a development they claim has disrupted takeoff and landing operations at the nearby airport in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Attribution: activist reports cited by regional media.
The unfolding situation resonates with broader worries about illegal logging trends across Russia. It prompts questions about enforcement, oversight, and how development needs are balanced with conservation goals in the region. Attribution: regional observers and press materials.