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Forest Bulletin
Issue 15, Sept. 2000

Foresters are Implacable Friends of Tourists


S. Mindelevich

Foresters have now a "hay time", this term was previously used by actors and entertainers as a definition of a period of Christmas parties for children, when Santa Claus and his granddaughter visited several children's matinees a day and coined money everywhere. It seems that there is a similar period for foresters in the Elbrus region in summer.

Once, when I was talking with mountain-climbers, who pitched their camp on the glade opposite the Dzantugan, a man in green uniform came to us. He turned out to be the Chief Forester of the local National park Mr. S. Saidmetov. He wanted to find out from the head of the tem how many people were there in a team, how long they were going to stay there... Then he started to fill in a form - the statement on violation of rules of conduct within a National park. And he made the team leader pay a fine - approximately 300 rubles.

Other teams also said that foresters fined them and collected several hundred rubles (mountain-climbers from Dnepropetrovsk paid most - 900 rubles!). It looked more like a payment for a stay in the National park as the amount of fine depended on a team size and duration of the stay. In fact such payment was not provided for in any regulations.

The following day I went to ask explanations to the directorate of the National park located near by in the settlement of Elbrus. The director was not in the office, so I had to speak to the same Chief Forester Mr. S. Saidmetov. He told me a lot of interesting facts.

For instance, all fines are imposed in compliance with the Federal Law "On strictly protected nature areas" adopted by the State Duma on 15 February, 1995. The law contains Article 36, saying: "Violation of established regime or other rules of use of natural environment and natural resources is penalized administratively with imposition of a fine on citizens at the rate from one up to 20 minimal wages and on officials at the rate from 3 up to 40 minimal wages with expropriation of tools and products of illegal nature use and without it... The damage is subject to indemnification in compliance with fixed tariffs and techniques according to the established procedure".

Mr. S. Saidmetov showed me Regulations on the State Natural National Park "Prielbrusie" approved by the Government of the Kabardino-Balkarian republic on 18 November, 1993. It stated: - It is prohibited ... to pitch camps and tents, to make fires outside specially designated sites on the territory of the National park".

- And where can the tents be pitched? - I asked the Chief Forester.

- Above the forest zone.

- For instance, at "The Green Hotel"?

- Yes, it is allowed to pitch tents there.

- But it is too far away, it takes three hours to walk from there to the Baksansk highway with no luggage. Are there any other allowed camping sites in the Balsansk canyon?

- No, there are not any.

- And when was the National park established?

- 12 years ago.

- Why haven't you made any camping sites for all these years?

- Last five years we were not provided any financing for organizing camping sites.

- It seems to me that it does not require much money to organize camping sites: to build a toilet, to dig a garbage pit, to make a fire place, to bring firewood (for instance, wind-fallen trees can be sold to tourists and thus all expenses will be recovered)... Much can be done by tourists. You can offer them to dig a garbage pit instead of paying the fine. If they do not do it then you will impose a fine on them.

- We do not have the right to make people do it.

- Do not make people, provide a choice: to dig or to pay.

- We are not allowed to do that.

- But why?

There was no answer.

- OK, then answer one more question. You collect fines, but many people do not know that it is prohibited to pitch tents there as there are no signs.

- Recently we got financing for visual information and agitation. We ordered boards, signs and information tables. They will be ready in a month or two and then we will place them.

The conversation took place on 9th of August. It means that all boards will be placed when tourist season is over. Most of them will rust through and be destroyed by the next summer and everything will go over again.

- Hundreds of excursionists are brought every weekend to the rope-ways on the Cheget clearing. What do people do first if they have spent several hours in a bus without any stops? It is obvious that they go into the bushes as there is not any toilets on the clearing! Everything round is defecated, some parts of rope-ways are scattered about. By the way, who is the owner of the rope-way?

- The company "Elbrustourist".

- How come that the company which owns rope-ways, hotels, tourist camps in the Elbrus region and which collects 30-60 from everyone who is taken to the Cheget mountain, cannot build a toilet there? Do you fine them for the disgrace?

- No, we do not.

- Why?

- They do not have money (!!!). In any case, a paying toilet is to be built at the foot of the Cheget mountain.

OK, let it be a payment toilet rather than no toilets at all. But when will it be constructed? It seems that foresters are afraid to disturb managers of the "Elbrustourist" - it is not good to offend "local people like them". Coming tourists and mountain-climbers are quite different. They will leave as they come, whereas the National park will live near by the "Elbrustourist" for a long time...

- You say that you do not have any money. However, you collected several thousand rubles as fines in my presence during one day. A great sum of money is collected during one summer, is not it? Why can not the money be used?

- How can you say so! This is the first time that I went to inspect the area this summer...

Everything became clear for me after those words. Dozens of people told me how they paid fines to foresters. They usually give out a copy of the violation protocol (or statement on violation), such forms can be taken in the office without any counting as they are not numbered. I suppose that all or most collected fine payments simply do not arrive at the cashier's office at the National park.

That is why there are no warning signs, and no allowed camping sites have been established for 12 years (!), whereas the National park was established (I am citing the Regulations) "in order to create conditions for regulated tourism and rest in wild nature". Who will deprive himself of such a "sinecure"? It is easier to inspect favorite tourists' sites and coin several thousand rubles for half a day. It seems to be a nice rise of the salary... However, it is a penal action.

As I do not want to be brought a suit for calumny against, I notify in advance that it is my personal opinion. It should be proved by authorized bodies (of course, if they want to do it). That is why I want TO ASK our readers to inform us on their contacts with foresters " and not only in the Elbrus region.

There is one more vivid example how foresters "protect" nature. Almost each evening at the tourist center "Adulsy" where I stayed, I heard a sound of working petrol saw. Famous Baksansk pines were being cut down behind the nearest mountain. The National park was established specially in order to provide conservation of those pine trees. Who acted so bravely at five minutes distance from the National park directorate? "Loggers" introduced themselves when they were carrying fallen trees by the tent located outside the tourist center fence. Four fellows from the Ural Polytechnical University lived in the tent. The "loggers" introduced themselves to the students and began to claim $1 per day for the right to stay there. The students refused to pay to extortioners, packed their things and went away. And the foresters carried the Baksansk pines farther.

When I told about the felling to local people, I was laughed at: "It is such a trifle! You'd better see the new mansion built by the director of the National park. Then you will understand everything!" Unfrourtunately I did not have time to see it. Maybe, inspectors from the Federal Forest Service of the Russian Federation will have time to look at the house, as the National park in the Elbrus region falls into jurisdiction of the mentioned agency. Of course, if they are not offered "Tsar hunting" there.

And the last remark... Mr. S. Saidmetov told me that the directorate of the National park turned to the Government of Kabardino-Balkaria with a proposal to establish a charge for visiting the Elbrus region. If the proposal is approved, then everyone who will come there will have to paid a certain tax. It will apply to everybody: to amateur tourists and mountain-climbers, tourists who will live in the tourist centers and hotels. Then it will cost even more expensive to come there. Amount of payment is not determined yet.

It was the same once, there was a turnpike near the settlement of Elbrus. The guards stooped all passing cars and collected tax. Requisitions were abolished in 1993 as they exasperated people and attendance of the Elbrus region greatly declined. The directorate of the National park improved its financial situation, but it caused considerable damage to the tourist sector of the Elbrus region and economy of the republic. And once again somebody wants to step on the same rakes...

Based on materials of "The Free Wind" newspaper



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Editorial: Vladimir Zakharov, Olga Zakharova
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