The 'Follow Forest Conduct Rules' information banners with QR codes will be installed at 350 locations across state forests.
Due to high temperatures, the summer season is a particularly high-risk period for wildfires. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture implements wildfire prevention measures annually.
Every year, the National Forestry Agency installs information and warning signs nationwide in high-risk zones and areas that experience heavy tourist traffic during the season. Through a QR code on the 'Follow Forest Conduct Rules' information banners, tourists can access forest safety guidelines and review the restrictions that must be observed when setting up picnic sites and lighting campfires. These informational banners will be placed at 350 locations within state forests across the country.
'We are installing informational and warning signs in heavily touristed areas to mitigate the risk of fires as much as possible. As you know, statistics show that human negligence is named as the primary cause of forest fires. Raising public environmental responsibility in this regard is of paramount importance to us,' stated Besik Amiranashvili, Head of the National Forestry Agency.
On state forest land, lighting fires is strictly prohibited under tree canopies, in young coniferous forests, in old burn areas, in damaged forest plots, in logging sites that have not been cleared of harvesting residue, in areas where harvested timber has been left unhauled, and in peatlands or areas with dry grass.
In other parts of the forest, lighting a campfire is permissible only if the campfire site (platform) is prepared in advance. Proper preparation requires clearing all easily flammable materials (such as hay, dry grass, leaves, and brushwood) within a 1.5-meter radius of the fire pit.
According to the Administrative Offenses Code of Georgia, violating fire safety requirements in forests that results in a forest fire breaking out or spreading over a certain area, as well as the destruction of or damage to a forest due to arson or careless handling of fire, shall result in a fine ranging from 300 to 500 GEL. In cases where a forest fire is caused by criminal negligence, the law provides for imprisonment for a term of four to eight years.
