The great green debate: Yerevan`s tree replacement program sparks  outcry

ArmInfo.Armen Begoyan, head of the "Greening and Environmental Protection" State Non-Commercial Organization, held a press conference to discuss the tree removal and replacement work on Yerevan's streets.

Amid the alarm raised by environmentalists and eco- activists over the recent developments in the city, Begoyan emphasized once again that that are not killing healthy trees, just replacing dying ones. He demonstrated  a recently acquired resistograph, which can detect internal voids and rotten areas invisible from the outside, and obtain quantitative data on wood density.

The head of the SNCO assured that an expert group is conducting an  additional assessment of the trees' condition. "An organization has  been created that includes professionals, the most renowned  botanists, from Corresponding Members of the Academy of Sciences to  associate professors, PhDs, and professors.  All decisions are made  during meetings of the scientific and technical council. We measure  10 times and cut once," Begoyan said.

Speaking about the work on Paroyan Street, where the press conference  was held, he noted that elm trees are being cut down, which, with  proper care, have a lifespan of 50-60 years in an urban environment.  These trees were planted in the 1940s and 1950s. In their place,  Japanese pagoda trees will be planted, which have been present in  Yerevan for over 50 years and have proven themselves to be  disease-resistant and long- lived. The cost of one pagoda tree, he  said, was 91,500 drams. In total, over 50 trees will be removed from  Paronyan Street. Speaking about Amiryan Street, he said that catalpas  will be planted in place of the felled trees, while chestnuts and  lindens will be planted on the first line of Komitas Avenue, and  judas trees (Judas trees) on the second line. The SNCO's future plans  include tree replacement work on Myasnikyan Avenue and Halabyan  Street. Mentioning the latter, Begoyan noted that due to the delay in  the delivery of saplings, the work will likely be carried out either  in the fall or next year, as the saplings must arrive in Armenia from  Iran.

In total, according to him, over 2,000 trees have been replaced on 11  streets in Yerevan, and over 25,000 trees have been planted in the  city. Begoyan assured that the survival rate of these trees is 94%.  He also recalled that seven urban forests have been established over  the past three years. The felled trees, he clarified, are distributed  among the heads of the capital's administrative districts, who then  give them to low-income families for heating purposes.

Meanwhile, it's worth noting that the day before, Kristina Vardanyan,  a member of the Yerevan Council of Elders and an associate professor  in the Department of Hygiene and Ecology at Yerevan State Medical  University, called the current situation barbaric on her Facebook  page.

She stated that the so-called scientists at the city hall initially  urged the authorities to carry out deep tree pruning, and are now  confidently insisting that the best solution is to cut down the trees  they themselves had previously pruned. "They say there's a good fairy  tale called 'Systemic Corruption': Dear residents of Yerevan, for  three years, with the mandate you entrusted to me, I have tried my  best to explain to the ruling authorities the devastating  consequences of this program for all of us. Unfortunately, my  interests and theirs differ. I am tormented by one question: in the  event of Iran's bombing, why are you stripping the city bare?  What  is the purpose?" she asked. At the same time, after the press  conference, Vardanyan stated that she has long considered any  environmental discussions with city authorities pointless, since the  environmentalists' voiced criticism, as interpreted by them, is  purely maneuverable. Under this cover, the mass felling of already  treated elms is being carried out, which is a grave violation of all  environmental and legal norms.

"Over the past two years, you have cut down thousands of trees, and  only in February 2026, following our calls, did you acquire  diagnostic equipment. Meanwhile, instead of elms, you have switched  to Moskovyan and Amiryan trees, acacias, and other species. Based on  your barbaric behavior, I declare with full responsibility: continue  your "campaign," which is worthless, but it is imperative that the  healthy trees of Yerevan be left alone. The trees of our city,  contrary to my opinion and position, play a far more important role  in the health of residents, biodiversity, and the environment.

I repeat what I've always said: the elms in Yerevan are problematic,  and since 2020, we've begun mass treatment of the trees, banned deep  pruning, and, despite the actions of the current director of the  municipal agency, who held a demonstration in Mashtots Park in 2020  and publicly demanded treatment for the dead elms, we've continued to  protect the trees. Protect your children's lives-the most important  thing I've dedicated my entire life to, as a pediatrician and as an  environmental doctor," she wrote.