Forest Club model projects and sites

Issue 12, Nov. 1999

Director of the Kosikhinskiy leskhoz M.V. Kondratovich showing his forestry to the experts

General Assembly of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which took place in July last year in Oaxaca (Mexico) outlined the fact that none ha of forested lands in Russia had been certified so far. Certainly, certification according to the Forest Stewardship Council Principles and Criteria is new in our country and lumbermen do not see reasons why they have to prefer this very type of certification. Nevertheless…

Inspectors from the Soil Association ("Woodmark") worked in the Altai region from 6 till 11 of September with the purpose of evaluating opportunities of certification according to the FSC Principles for the following objects: Kosikhinsky rural forest district, a saw-mill, a processor chain of timber conversion including a small factory, which produces consumer goods of birch timber. The production then goes not only to the internal market, it is also exported to the UK to the stores of "The Body Shop" company.

The Kosikhinsky rural forest district (leskhoz) was established in 1971 and its purpose is mainly to satisfy needs of the residential population. For rural population the forest is a source of firewood and building material, mushrooms, berries, herbs. It also serves as recreation area and pasture, as well as area of bee-farming, hunting and fishing. Besides the forest is a source of clear air and wind protection.

The area of the Kosikhinsky rural forest district is 32.8 thousand ha and is typical for the forest districts of the Altai region. There are 8 forest types and the main species is birch. All forests are the First Group Forests, so only sanitary, intermediate and reconstructive felling operations are allowed. Annual prescribed cut is 40 thousand m3, the clear stripped-coupe and selection (on drained soils and in forests of high density) felling operations are conducted. Mature and over-mature birch forests make up 45%, ripening stand - 38%, pinery forests comprise only 4%, aspen - 5% and the tendency to forests' aging remains. Forests spread out naturally on the area of 8 thousand ha, mainly on former plough-lands last ten years.

Valuation crew of the Western-Siberian forest inventory and planning enterprise (Novosibirsk) drew a management plan of the Kosikhinsky rural forest district as according to the new Forest Code all forests are state-owned, so only divisions of Federal Forest Service (Rosleskhoz) are entitled to carry out their inventory. While drawing the plan, the crew took into consideration the FSC Principles as well as certain demands made by the company "Woodmark".

For instance, during the meeting with experts of Altay regional committee of Ecology it was noted that there was not any non-compliance with Federal or local legislation and administrative requirements found. Moreover, regional Regulations of plant and animal resources use (on the base of Federal Law) are being developed. Besides, when developing nature management plans, additional Rules and recommendations, which regulate nature protection at the local level, as well as Red books (plants and animals) of the Altai region are also taken into account. For example, a forester was appointed by the forest district for protection of the area (84 ha), where a site of dense growth of the lady's slipper (Cypripedium macranthum) and some other rare plants was found, while a Monument of Nature on the territory of so-called Bald hill (motley grass and steppe meadows, mixed forest) was allocated in the Kosikhinsky rural forest district. Water-bodies protection zones are assigned in compliance with existing legislation - 100-200 meters wide along rivers and 500 meters wide round the lake Krasilovo, which is situated at the edge of federal forests. The lake is a recreation site for citizens and local population, but its recreational development is confined by great population of ixode ticks - carriers of encephalitis. There is a recreation camp for the students and professors of Altai State University on the lakeside. It is planned to establish a Monument of Nature near the lake as well. There are no marshes or swamping on the territory of the forest district.

Regional State committee of Ecology together with Altai State University published a map, where all existing and planned strictly protected areas were marked.

The Forest district has not been unprofitable at least last two years. All federal and local taxes and payments are made in time, about 200 thousand rubles are transferred to budgets of different levels annually. The district carries out the following operations: forest protection, fire control, harvesting, hauling and processing of timber. Birch, harvested by felling, is converted at two saw-mills: in Kosikha and Nalobikha.

The following experts and officials took place in work with the forest district's documentation together with the inspectors: Director of the forest district M.V. Kondratovich, Chief forester C.R. Sofronov, two accountants, representatives of the "Prisebirch Ltd." company, independent experts and inspectors. They were solid in mentioning the fact that all the documentation was properly composed, all the documents demanded by the commission members were given immediately. Beside account books, the commission checked the documentation confirming that the control of compliance with safety rules satisfied the requirements. All forest district workers are provided with protective means and overalls.

Rights of the forest district workers, which are discussed at the general meeting, are fixed in the collective labor contract with the administration. Local population has priority when they apply for work in the forest district. Personnel certification is carried out regularly and on term as well as refresher courses. Director of the forest district answered the very first examination question of the "Special technology" course, which was offered by the inspectors, immediately. Chief forester mentioned that if the district received better financing, the results would be much better. Lack of financial resources led to scanty tending of plantations, placing less information boards near borders of strictly protected areas, lack of machinery and cutting of less than 50% of prescribed annual yield.

Nobody of indigenous people live on the territory of the Kosikhinsky rural forest district, correspondingly, there are no areas of their traditional nature management; however, local population actively uses forest resources. Gathering berries, mushrooms and herbs for own use is free of charge for local people, whereas gathering in production quantities is allowed only if a person has a special license. Local people can collect felling debris as firewood at no cost. Meetings of the forest district workers and inhabitants are held twice a year: before fire risk periods. Villagers' questions on their forest rights, pasturing of cattle are answered either at the meeting or by the local administration. Plans of land and forest management as well as hunting regulations are mutually updated.

Field inspection took place at allocated felling sites, sites of selective felling, former clear cutting, sites of natural reproduction, in water-protecting zones and in forest plantations. Sites for inspection were chosen by the members of the checking commission, that made impossible any garbling. Inspectors pointed to the fact of compliance with rules and requirements of forest operations. There were some forest sites with low degree of density and soil compaction due to over-pasturing so reduction of forested area allocated for cattle pasturing from 25 to 15 thousand ha was planned.

Sharp debate arose on the replacement of birch forests with pinery. Birch forests are typical for the region, whereas piny forests are found rarely in the form of forest belts; however there are no natural piny forests on the territory of the Kosikhinsky rural forest district. Artificial reproduction with piny seedlings should be carried out at the sites of clear cutting if there is no satisfactory natural regeneration in three years. Such sites occupy 1247 ha of the area of the Kosikhinsky rural forest district. They cannot be considered as plantations since their purpose is to restore forested area instead of wood growing. Species selection is well-grounded, seeds are taken in the region, that makes impossible expansion of exotic and aggressive plant species and complies with the 10th Guiding Principle of FSC. Full-scale documented strategy of fire and biological control was developed. Biological agents were used for insect control last time in 1985 when aerial treatment of 16 thousand ha with dendrobacillius and betoxibasillius took place. Pesticides and chemicals are not used.

Inspectors rebuked for allocation of forested areas assigned for biodiversity conservation. There are a lot of overmature forests on the territory of the Kosikhinsky rural forest district; however, there are no areas which did not influence human impact. All the territory is exposed to anthropogeneous load due to developed road network, which is connected with agricultural orientation of the region. The commission recommended to pay special attention to extension of protected areas aimed at biodiversity conservation as well as to revision of the management plan.

On the whole, the commission decided to recommend the forest district for certification according to the FSC Principles and Criteria on the condition that all the defects are corrected. The decision is not final, it is only a recommendation for the Board of Soil Association. If the decision is approved, inspections will take place every year and the FSC certificate will be prolonged on the condition that all non-compliance revealed by the previous inspections has been corrected. If the Kosikhinsky forest district and the chain of following supplies get the International FSC certificate - this certificate will be the first in Russia! When the inspection was working in the forest district, the director M.V. Kondratovich was awarded a title "Honored Forester of the Russian Federation".

As I gave a written statement on confidentiality of data on the "Prisebirch Ltd.", I could not speak on certification of the following chain "forest - consumer". I can only say, that under modern conditions the factory was equipped quite well, the workers complied with all safety rules, wastes were utilized. One more fact could be added: the factory took a children's home in Barnaul under its patronage two years ago. The factory pays all taxes and salaries in time.

So, despite of a number of legal, economic, environmental and social problems, most of what was planned was realized. Interests of forest users and other interested parties were observed in this case. Tax burden was not so heavy, sustainable forest management grew stronger, normative and legislation, which regulated forest exploitation, took into account regional conditions. Illegal felling is almost impossible in the Kosikhinskiy district, special attention is paid to environmental education of the forest users (which seems typical for the Altai region). Social situation is difficult in the district as in other agricultural districts, where this year harvest will go to the discharge of debts. However, the situation in the forest district is better: workers receive their salaries in time and they support the idea of certification. Schoolchildren often come to the forestry: they look after the Monument of Nature and earn additionally caring plantations.

Desired effect of the International inspection was obtained: the forest district and its partner in timber processing began working towards economically sustainable, environmentally oriented, socially-responsible forest management and forest exploitation.

We would appreciate if foresters listened to the environmentalists' opinion while drawing management plans. However, they still believe that "representatives of environmental NGOs can only disturb and ruin everything". We hope that this bias will be surmounted in the nearest future and these first signs in the field of environmentally and socially responsible forest management will not remain the only in Russia.