The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture has clarified the government’s December 19 decision to revoke forest status for 3.7 million square meters in Oni, Racha. Officials explained that the affected areas are not actual forest ecosystems but include orchards, roads, rivers, and other non-forest plots. Simultaneously, 16 million square meters in Oni will be newly granted forest status.
A similar process in Telavi municipality resulted in forest status being assigned to 9.8 million square meters and revoked for 1.8 million square meters. The ministry said these adjustments follow a 2023–2024 inventory and mapping of state forest lands, aiming to accurately delineate forest boundaries and update the state forest fund.
The ministry emphasized that the changes reflect actual land use rather than arbitrary removal of forest protections.
