Soaring oil prices and freezing economic times are propelling growing numbers of Greeks to chop down trees for winter warmth, warned a group of forest engineers on Tuesday.

"You have to remember what happened in Albania," Bokaris said, describing how that country's population felled trees en masse after the collapse of communism. "Even the trees lining the roads were chopped down."
Greek foresters filed 1,500 criminal complaints last year, twice as many as in 2010. About 70 percent of Greece's forests are public, with most of the rest belonging to various religious institutions.
Bokaris attributed the rise to a sharp drop in national funding for forest management, coupled with a near-doubling of oil prices in 2011.
He said forest funds had been slashed from 20 million euros ($26 million) in recent years to 10 million euros from now on.
The cuts are part of Greece's austerity measures agreed with international creditors in a bid to win vital debt bailouts.
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"Wood poaching," as some in Greece call it, is not a new phenomenon in a country where even modern homes in Athens still have fireplaces. Domestically provided firewood is often not enough, with the shortfall made up by Balkan lumber.
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