On December 30, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Forestry enterprises of the Vitebsk Regional Production Forestry Association sold New Year trees worth Br1.1 billion, reported Oleg Gritskevich, leading engineer for subsidiary forest use and subsidiary farming of the PRHA, to a BELTA correspondent. Christmas tree markets started in the region on December 17. By the morning of December 30, a total of 35 thousand fir trees and 1 thousand pine trees had been sold during their operation, as well as directly by forestry units. Another 5 thousand trees are planned to be sold on December 30-31, said Oleg Gritskevich. He noted that the peak of pre-New Year's sales of fir and pine trees occurred over the past weekend and the last pre-holiday days. Thus, an expanded sale is being held in Vitebsk today, involving Vitebsk, Shumilino, Glubokoe, Surazh, Liozno, Lepel, Tolochin, Begoml, Ushachi, and Polotsk forestry enterprises. More than 30 trucks were used to deliver New Year's cargo to the residents of the regional center. The last chance to purchase the main attribute of the New Year is the morning of December 31. Significant work has been done in the region to prevent illegal logging of trees. With the efforts of forestry workers and police officers, 52 checkpoints were organized on the roads, and over 1.7 thousand vehicles were inspected. In addition, forest protection officers conducted 229 raids in the forests, including 116 jointly with representatives of law enforcement, tax authorities, the regional committee for natural resources and environmental protection, and other interested departments. 25 cases of illegal logging of New Year trees were detected in Dokshitsy, Vitebsk, Verkhnedvinsk, Liozno, Polotsk, Postavy, and Tolochin districts. All violators have been brought to administrative responsibility with fines imposed. -0-

BELTA