The National Forestry Agency [NFA] is conducting sanitary logging in the Sachkhere forestry district to improve the sanitary condition of pine cultures. The measure involves removing dead and severely damaged trees from the area, which is important for improving the health of the pine plantations and reducing the risk of pests spreading and forest fires.

“To improve the phytosanitary condition, sanitary logging is already underway in this area, which involves removing dead and severely damaged trees from the territory. These measures are important both for improving the health of the pine plantations and for reducing the risk of pests spreading and forest fires”, - said Besik Amiranashvili, Head of the NFA.

While assessing the condition of pine plantations in the Sachkhere forestry district, forest entomologists revealed several cases of pine tree damage and drying.

According to the study, the primary cause of the pine trees’ weakening was severe hail damage in 2023. The damaged and weakened trees were unable to recover in subsequent years.

At this stage, no factor causing a mass spread of pests or disease has been identified. However, galleries of the common pine shoot beetle (Tomicus piniperda) and the lesser pine shoot beetle (Tomicus minor) were detected on the weakened trees.

Specialists continue to monitor the area. After the completion of the sanitary logging, the NFA will carry out forest restoration measures in the specified area.