Forest Club model projects and sites

Issue 13, Jan. 2000

Touching upon the problem of protection of Belarussian natural heritage, the editors could not help asking an official from State environmental authorities of Belarus to speak on the subject.

So, we present an interview with A.I. Luchkov – Head of Administration of Protected Nature Areas (PNAs) and Forest Game enterprises, given to the reporter of “The Forest Bulletin” K.A. Pakhorukova.

In your interview given to O. Shvedov (“The Soviet Belarus” on July 7th, 1999) you outlined that assignation of Belarussian protected nature areas (PNAs) under the jurisdiction of the President's Administration did them only good. What are the reasons for your statement? What has been changed on protected nature areas? What changes are planned? What are the benefits of the decision?

Before that, all National parks and Nature reserves were under the jurisdiction of different Ministries and Departments and that caused many difficulties in their management and financing. After the USSR had broken down, all protected nature areas were delivered under the jurisdiction of the State Council of Ministers and later, under the jurisdiction of the Administration of Belarussian President.

When I took part in a workshop in Moscow, I spoke with representatives of former Soviet republics and made certain that Belarussian PNAs were in much better condition than National parks and Nature reserves in those states. In many countries forests are being felled and animals are being killed. Some Nature reserves disappeared completely as, for example, the Nature reserve “Tigrovaya balka (Tiger's gully)”. Our protected nature areas are under the President's control as paramount property of Belarus. Joining up all PNAs under the jurisdiction of the President's Administration allowed to keep them intact, to carry on enlightenment, strengthen protection of Nature reserves and their material and technical basis, to restore and develop infrastructure in some of them.

Zoning of the territory was carried out in all National parks. All economic activity is prohibited in the zones of strict nature protection, where only protective and scientific works are allowed in compliance with the State Law “On protected nature areas and objects”. Limited economical activity is allowed in the zones of regulated use according to the legislation. For instance, we remove only dead-standing trees and conduct antifire and sanitary measures in strict compliance with plans of Forestry development. However, neither our nor your environmentalists believe us. Certain works are carried out in recreational and economic zones, taking into account nature protection requirements.

Area of the State National park “Belovezhskaya Puscha” is 90 thousand ha, annual natural pruning is more than 200 thousand m3. Some dead trees are used for the needs of the park and local population, that allows to receive certain profit without any harm to nature. Of course, there are many old trees, and most of them rot. I want to remind that reserved area in the Polish part of the dense forest occupied only 5 thousand ha two years ago. Nowadays it has increased up to 10 thousand ha. So, when they say that the area of the National park in Poland increased twice, we should remember, that it is still much smaller than the area of the reserved core of the National park in Belarus.

An experimental forest game enterprise (EFGE) was established at Berezinskiy biosphere reserve (which was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture) in 1982. Then such experimental forest game enterprises were established at all national parks. These game enterprises are situated at the border of national parks or the nature reserve and do not fall into the list of PNAs. They serve as scientific and producing basis for Natural parks and the nature reserve.

Usual economic activities are conducted there, icnluding forest management, hunting, timber processing and tourism. Scientific experiments are also carried out there. People often confuse the forest game enterprises with PNAs.

There is high density of population on the territory of National parks and the nature reserve. Establishment of EFGEs helps to provide employment and settle many raw material, environmental and social issues.

Do you plan to increase total area of national parks and nature reserves in the country?

We have established a National Park “Narochansky” this year, thanks to support of President A.G. Lukashenko. The National park “Braslavskiye Lakes” was established in 1995. Before that no protected nature areas have been established for 25 years. The idea had been discussed for a long time without any results. At the same time lakes had been polluted, valuable forests had been exploited in the wrong way and poaching was widely spread. New PNAs are established in compliance with the Layout of PNAs in the Republic of Belarus and the adjusted variant of the Layout was approved by the Belarussian Council of Ministers in 1995.

What were the reasons for reorganization of the nature reserve “Pripyatsky” into a national park?

The reorganization allowed to bring the actual state of affairs into compliance with environmental legislation. Pripyatsky district is characterized with high density of population, whereas some sites of the nature reserve were situated in such a way, that they disabled local people to collect gifts of forests (mushrooms and berries). That was why, the requirements of the nature reserve protection were not fulfilled at some places. When zoning the territory, we changed the layout of reserved areas so that they were not close to settlements any more and increased their total area as well. So, we solved the problem of co-existence of local population and the nature reserve. Now the national park includes the Pripyat river together with vast floodplain areas, which have not been included before. These lands are of great importance from the point of view of biodiversity conservation. This fact allowed to reach hydrological closure of the nature reserve, which is important not only from the point of view of protection nature.

How do you solve the problem of financing the PNAs in the Republic? Can they be called self-supporting? What is the share of receipts from EFGEs, ecotourism and other economic activities in the budget of PNAs? What other economic activities can be listed? Did it lead to improvement of scientific departments' work and guarding of PNAs? What part of the money is spent for scientific research? How did the size of scientific personnel of PNAs change last five years? How did the size of guards change?

Nature reserves as well as national parks are budget organizations. However, they try to solve their financial problems themselves as all other nature reserves in the world. Of course, they are not fully recompensed; however about 30% of their total budget comes from EFGEs and ecotourism. That fact influences work of all departments including scientific department and the guards.

Sizes of scientific departments vary. Many scientists reached retirement age. We have some vacancies and there is special qualified staff recruitment. We need people, who can work far from cities under difficult conditions. New young employees work well and we also train personnel at postgraduate studies. We established contacts not only with research institutes of the Belarussian Academy of Sciences, but also with the Belarussian State University and high schools in the regional centers.

Beside forest guardsmen and chasseurs, mobile inspectorial groups were established, which included policemen, who had more rights. Such guards management brings positive results.

Special rules of stay on the territory of PNAs were introduced recently. For example, you have to pay in order to drive through the national park. Are these rules standard or different, developed for each PNAs separately? How much does it cost to visit a nature reserve or a national park?

In fact, fare (which was quite small) for driving through the national park was collected tentatively. There is an environmental tax for driving along the major state highways, which is paid at a frontier when entering the country. The tax was introduced on January 1st, 2000. Such taxes exist in many countries.

Rules of visiting national parks or the nature reserves are determined by Law “On protected nature areas and objects of Belarus” and Regulations of protected nature areas. Guards of national parks and the nature reserve see to compliance with the requirements.

Do you develop ecotourism? Is there any work with local population conducted? What is done in order to increase rating of PNAs?

Administration of Belarussian President does a lot so that everyone can come to enjoy beauty of Belarussian nature. That is why, we spend so much time and efforts on restoration and development of infrastructure on protected nature areas. There are even “tourists' centers” near the parks, where people can spend several days (of course, they have to pay for it), go along tourist routes with a guide or on their own. Now we are organizing motor ship trips along the Pripyat river and lakes, create and restore Museums of nature, develop parking places, so that visitors will not damage nature. We do a lot in order to popularize PNAs in mass-media, for example, there is a weekly TV program “Along reserved areas of Belarus”, many booklets, books, maps, schemes and a magazine are published.

Do you think that economic activity which is conducted on the forested lands of EFGEs is environmentally, economically and socially responsible?

Undoubtedly, I do. I want to outline once again that the following activities are carried out at EFGEs: forest and game management, wood-processing, tourism and nature protection. That allows to satisfy many needs not only of protested nature areas but also of local population. New technologies, including nature protection ones, are polished and introduced there.

What documents regulate economic activity on protected nature areas? Are there any special rules of conducting economic activity in protected forests or any additional restrictions? How is the use of non-wooden resources regulated, for example, gathering mushrooms and berries?

First of all, the economic activity should comply with Regulations of protected nature areas of Belarus, State Law “On environmental protection”, Law “On PNAs and objects”, other legislation, which regulate use of natural resources – Land and Water Codes, Regulations of forest and game management. Taking into account the fact, that our protected nature areas are mainly forested lands, we conduct only environmental harvesting, sanitary felling and fire control thinning in some zones, where it is necessary and provided by program of organization and development of the forestry, there we also carry out reforestation. Moreover, even these works serve nature protection and are aimed at improvement of sanitary state of forests and increase of their resistance. Our main task is to get environmental effect. That is why, these measures are limited.

How does economic activity influence biodiversity at PNAs? Were there any research of its impact?

Constant environmental monitoring is carried out in national parks and all over the Republic. Biodiversity is paid special attention to, and I can assure that care of stands does not lead to their decrease. Detailed data is published in our monograph “Biodiversity conservation in forests of “Byelovezhskaya Puscha (Byelovezhskaya dense forest)” We pay special attention to conservation of rare plant and animal species. Forest tree nurseries are created, we make open-air cages for animals, etc.

What part of timber from cutting operations at territories of EFGEs goes for processing?

We try to use everything completely. As a result of earlier drainage land-reclamation, hydrological regime of many forested area was damaged, that led to drying of some plantations, which increased fire hazard, especially in summer. We try to reduce amount of litter in the forests and use removed timber maximally. So all industrial wood goes for processing, and what cannot be converted as well as waste (sawdust and cuttings) is sold to citizens as firewood or is used for heating of the woodworking workshops and other buildings. Only nonreclaimable wood is left after young growth tending , which is stored for rotting through. That measure helps to bring organic matter back into soil and to promote formation of humus.

How do you solve problems of fire control, destructive insects, natural and artificial reforestation at felling sites and after fires?

All these problems are solved within the framework of the Republican system. Forest fire hazard is quite great so, we pay much attention to preventive measures, among them I can list a network of communication and fire towers, air forest guards and special work with local population. We try to prevent outbreaks of injurious insects and phytophagans. We carry out forest pathological inspections on regular basis. Much attention is paid to conservation of natural reforestation, planting, including plantations with oak presence (where it is necessary) and, of course, to nature protection requirements.

What goods do EFGEs produce? How much do they cost? Is there a special marking for the production?

EFGEs, and in particular, their woodworking units are situated outside protected nature areas. They mainly produce consumer goods, starting with edged board and center-beaded board, finishing with household truck like coat-hangers, racks, different handles, etc. Their prices at home market are determined by purchasing capacity of people and economic expediency. When goods are imported to international market, the prices are quoted according to indicative prices. We import our goods at higher prices. There is no special marking of the goods produced at EFGEs, but the producer is always specified in the documentation. I want to add that volume of exports is not large, as EFGEs are only developing now.

Can we assess state of PNAs as satisfactory?

Certainly, we can. We do all we can to keep PNAs at proper sustainable natural, esthetical, sanitary and ecological level. We carry out certain measures including environmental, research, sanitary, restoration, fire control and others.

Have any sanitary felling been conducted at PNAs last six years?

I have already mentioned that sanitary felling operations are conducted at EFGEs according to forestry regulations. I want to outline once again that EFGEs are not situated on the territory of PNAs. Felling operations are conducted only in separate zones as a part of control measures over entomo- and phyto- destructive insects, as well as in some dried stands damaged by fire in forests of protected areas.

Is there any natural oak reproduction at cleared spaces?

There are no cleared spaces on the territory of natural parks and the nature reserve, however, we carry out research of natural reproduction of oak. There is a good natural reproduction of oak in the floodplain of the Pripyat river. Some dense young growth of oak is found there, so we can hope that there will be oak woods in future.

In your interview given to O. Shvedov you spoke about certain cases when large animals are killed. How many such cases have there been last three years? How are the animals shot? What animals were killed? Were there any animals killed at PNAs?

Any impressment of animals (ill or for selection purposes) is obligatory controlled by experts-hunters, and on the territory of PNAs by scientists coordinated by the Ministry of Nature protection. All necessary data and measurements are written down in the report. More often we settle apart animals on the areas, where density of populations exceeds tolerant, so that animals could not do any harm to reserved ecosystems. Population of deer in the national park “Byelovezhskaya Puscha” needs taking urgent regulation measures. It has turned out that the population is characterized not only with high density, but also with disproportion of female to male specimens. We are elaborating basing for impressment (settling apart) several hundreds of female deer this year in order to optimize sexual proportion according to food supply. Otherwise, bucks will leave the territory of the national park “Byelovezhskaya Puscha” looking for food. Bucks were brought to the EFGE “Myadel” at the national park “Narochanskiy” this year.

Can the boundaries of the functional zones be changed according to the Regulations of Belarussian PNAs?

When it is necessary, we change boundaries of different functional zones in accordance with the established procedure. However, areas of the zone of strict nature protection are usually enlarged. We conducted zoning of the area of the national park “Pripyatskiy” several years ago, and the area of the strictly protected zone (core of the nature reserve) increased up to 35% of total area. Additional investigations of the same issue were conducted in a newly established national park “Braslavskiye lakes”.

The zone of strict nature protection of the Berezinskiy nature reserve was recently increased almost twice, based on additional research and prepared substantiation. Now the area of this zone is about 50% of the total area. It is quite large area, if you take into account that each national park and the nature reserve occupies from 80 to 100 thousand ha. Today a group of experts is working on materials for conducting zoning of the new National park “Narochanskiy”. The aim of the zoning is to include valuable natural systems and objects in the zone of strict protection and not to infringe upon local people's rights and not to cause damage to nature.