Salininkai residents outraged over mass tree felling

Residents of the Salininkai district in Vilnius have expressed outrage over the large-scale felling of trees, calling it “mass killings,” as reported by LRT.

The local community is particularly concerned that the trees were cut down during the bird nesting season, leaving wildlife without habitats. Residents also complain that they received no prior information about the planned changes to the area.

The land is owned by the company Darnu Group, which states that it consulted with arborists and environmental specialists before the work began. The company claims it relocated 32 mature trees to nearby plots and only removes trees when absolutely necessary, prioritising environmentally friendly timing.

Local resident Ieva told LRT that the area, once green and used for family walks and cycling, is now a barren field. “Salininkai is considered a green zone that acts as a filter for cleaner air in Vilnius,” she said.

Genadijus Litvinovas, chairman of the community group “Vardan Salininkų,” said no official notices about the tree felling or future plans for the site have been posted. Residents fear that if a new housing development is built near Eišiškių Road, traffic congestion will worsen significantly.

The Vilnius municipality confirmed that no protected trees—defined as those over 20 cm in diameter—were removed. Since the land is private, the owners were not required to coordinate with the municipality. Inutė Neverovskienė, a municipality representative, acknowledged that while the trees cut were not legally protected, they were still used by nesting birds.

Darnu Group’s communications head, Ignas Danisas, admitted that infrastructure in southern Vilnius, including Eišiškių Road, is currently inadequate. The company says it has repeatedly analysed necessary changes and is in discussions with the municipality. The project, which will primarily focus on residential development, is expected to be presented to residents later this year.

Danisas added that the area will undergo significant transformation, becoming “much greener and more vibrant,” and will bring long-term benefits to Salininkai.