Published by Russian NGOs Forest Club
and Socio-Ecological Union Informational Coordination Center
N 38-39 (may-june 1999)
ADYGEYA: LOVE TO NATURE MEANS PUSHING ON A ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
IN THE NATURE RESERVE. NEWS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT CAMPAIGN IN N/W CAUCASUS
At the end of the international action "March for parks" Biodiversity
Conservation Center received official letter from Adygeya Government.
It says that authorities are willing to continue support of regional
protected areas. This is in theory. In practice regional government is violating
federal legislation by lobbing road construction project which will
cross Kavkazskiy nature reserve and completely destroy the unique Western
Caucasian natural complex (see Forest Update N37). Local people and
environmentalists are campaigning against this project for several
months being ignored by those who take decisions.
On the International Earth Day on 22nd of April local activists made
direct action against the road. 100 people took part in it. It was
performance about a funeral of Caucasian nature reserve. Local TV reporters that
day talked about the action without mentioning funeral part (!?). Day
after the action special commission of the Adygeya President was created to
prove that that performance was against the law and to punish organizers. But it
is said nothing in federal legislation about performances, it is said
only about pickets, marches and meetings. So now regional authorities are
thinking about special regulation for direct actions in Adygeya.
Another special commission discussed the road construction project on
the 13th of May in Maikop (Republic of Adygeya). It was expected that
illegal plans of road through the Caucasus nature reserve and Sochi national
park would be denied. But instead of this it was decided to build a road in
protected areas and to improve the existing road as well. Now regional
authorities are asking Russian Federal Automobile Service for money to
complete project design and to provide environment impact assessment.
SEU of Western Caucasus and Atshi community now have to be more
aggressive in their protests against the road construction.
Your support is needed! Please, faxes your protests to:
Aslan Djarimov, President of Adygeya Republic
f. 7-87722 -2-59-58
Vitaliy Artyukhov, Chaiman of Russian Federal Automobile Service
f. 7-095-286-28-00
Nikolay Kondratenko, Head of Krasnodar Territory Administration
f. 7-8612-68-35-42
Please, send copies to Independent Environmental Service of N/W
Caucuses e-mail: ies@mail.ru
THE REPORT ABOUT THE RESULTS OF FIRE SEASON IN SAKHALIN HAS BEEN
PRESENTED RECENTLY
Greenpeace Russia, Engineer Cenrter "ScanX" and "Sahkalin Ecolgical
Watch" issued the report 'Forest fires in Sakhalin in 1998". According to the
official information 80,8 thousand hectars of forest lands were on
fire. The number of fires was 350 and 230 of them were caused by men. But
after the careful research of the report it was figured out that the official
information didn't reflect the real situation minifying the scale of
what was happen. So the independent accessment was made and alternative
view was presented to public. It included analysis of satellite pictures,
mass-media publications, outlines of fire control activities in Sakhalin. This
analysis showed that more than 420 thousand hectars were on fire
including 234,8 thousand hectars of forest lands.
Contacts: Alexey Morozov willow@glasnet.ru
Dmitriy Lisitsyn watch@sakhalin.ru
FORESTRY SERVICE IS SETTING THE AXE TO "PAANAYARVI" SURROUNDINGS
Greenpeace Forest campaign drew the attention of General Presecutor,
Tax Ministry, Audit Chamber and Presidents Main Control Directorate to the
situation with protection, using and regeneration of forests of the
western part of Louhkskiy region of Karelia. In this region most valuable
natural forests of European Russia are located. It is 315 thousand hectars of
unique territory.Part of this forest belongs to "Paanayarvi" national park
(it is 103 thousand hectars), another part - to Pyaozerskiy Leshoz (forestry
service). The depletion of raw forest resources in the region and
unsustainable forestry practices are resulting in a cutting of unique
massive now. Logging started even in the habitats of species listed in the Red Book
of Russia and Karelia.
Ecologists addressed these facts in their letter to the officials
(mentioned above) and urge the autiorities to check the congruence of Pyaozerskiy
forestry service and Karelian forest committee activities with the
nature protection laws.
Contacts: Alexey Yaroshenko, alexey@greenpeace.ru
ECOLOGISTS DISCUSSED THE SITUATION IN SIKHOTE-ALIN
The problems of protection of the natural ecosystems in Upper Sukpai
in Khabarovsk region were discussed at the meeting in WWR Russian program
office on the 28th of April. Activists from Socio-ecological Union,
WWF, Greenpeace Russia, Students Nature Guard, Russian office of UICN, BCC,
Khabarovsk Fund of wild nature took part in the discussion. Vsevolod
Stepanitskiy, Director of the department of nature reserves of Russian
State committee for environment protection also attended the meeting.
A.Kulikov from Khabarovsk reported about the situation in the region and the
activities of Malaysian forest company Rimbunan Hidjau. He said that
local population considered Sikhote-Alin forests to be valuable ecosystem of
world significanse and ready to support any conservation plans at any
political level.
Representative of BCC Dmitriy Aksenov noted that it was not enough to
protect separate areas, it was time for regional biodiversity
conservation policy to be worked out. And it is important also to determine our
policy towards the protection of large natural taiga areas (such as forests
of Upper Sukpai bassin). All the meeting participants were agree with
that.
Representative of WWF informed other activists about their plans to
take part in the protection of nature in Sikhote-Alin within their new Far
East project.
The feeling after the meeting was very positive. We hope that it will
be followed by joint protection activities in the region.
IN BRIEF
Press-service of Russian Federal Forestry Service distributed the
information about its new ideas of improvement of the sanitary
conditions of suburban forests. It is decided to introduce special "green" talon
which will be attached to the drivers license. This sheet of paper will
give the driver an information about those things which are forbidden in forest
under a disqualification for driving for any certain period of time. Those
drivers who enter forests will be obliged to show this talon to forest
protection service. Now Forestry service is planning to ask State Duma to adopt
such regulation.
Russian initiative group for volunteer certification had the meeting
in Moscow region 2-5th of June. Industry and state representatives,
exporters, ecologists and scientists took part in it. This initiative group
started its activities last spring. Its goal is to push certification process in
Russia. Now several groups for certification work in Russia, several groups
have being formed. Some regional groups have already started to work out
local criteria of volunteer forest certification. (To be continued in the
next issue).
Russian Academy of Agricultural Science published new book"Economy and
its regulation". It contains more than 160 documents regulating
management and control of wild life protection including hunts regulation.
New brochure "Forestry and protection of valuable forests in Karelia"
is published by Russian NGO Forest Club. It covers most important
environmental and social aspects of forestry activities in Karelia and presents the
ideas of ecologists about the development of the sustainable forestry in the
region
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