The Parliament, in its initial reading, approved the amendments to the Law of Georgia on the Creation and Management of Protected Areas, specifically concerning the expansion of Erusheti National Park by 22 hectares. The proposed amendments received 75 votes in favor.
Nino Tandilashvili, the First Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture, provided an overview of the draft law's key principles to the Members of Parliament.
It was explained that the demarcation process for the borders of Erusheti National Park had been conducted, necessitating the reflection of its outcomes in the law. As a result of this demarcation, certain atypical infrastructures located within the boundaries of the protected areas, such as privately owned areas and areas that do not possess conservation value or adhere to the requirements of the Law on the System of Protected Areas (such as residential properties, orchards, etc.), were removed. The boundaries were adjusted to align with natural geographical features.
Consequently, the demarcation activities resulted in an increase of 22 hectares, bringing the total area of Erusheti National Park to 11,407 hectares.
