QR codes to be placed on cut-down trees

Meltem Özgenç - ISTANBUL

In a bid to prevent illegal tree-cutting, QR codes will be placed on the roots and logs of trees that have been cut down for natural reasons, as the codes will provide information about when, by whom and why the tree was chopped.

Noting that previously the cut-down trees were stamped, General Director of Forestry (OGM) Bekir Karacabey stated they will now be digitally protected.

“We will now use a QR code, barcode, or chip instead of a stamp on the root of the cut tree,” Karacabey said.

The director stated that forests need planning to be healthy and trees that have completed their lifespan need to be cut down from time to time.

According to the regulations made in 1956, each forest management chief has a hammer with a serial number printed on the mint, and the chief decides which tree to cut. The worker cuts the tree and stamps the root with the hammer’s special paint that does not come off like pitch. The regional director checks those roots and records whether they have been cut correctly or if there is any damage.

With the new Forestry Law, Karacabey said they will also place barcodes on the cut logs.

“We will know from which forest and with whose permission they were cut down. Any tree without a QR code, barcode, or chip will be identified as illegally chopped down. Businesses that process illegally cut wood will be fined and closed down,” he said.

Karacabey noted that all forest areas have started to be surrounded by fire safety strips and said that 29.6 percent of the country is covered with forests and 12.5 hectares of these forests consist of first and second-degree fire-sensitive tree species.

“We are building fire safety lanes to fight fires. We plan to prevent the death of wild animals, which saddens us all, with these lanes,” he added.