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Table of content:
RUSSIA: VOLUNTEER CERTIFICATION IN PROGRESS
In December 1999 owing to the initiative of Khabarovsk (Russian Far East) regional Administration, local NGOs and financial support of WWF, Center for Forest Certification was created in Khabarovsk. It became the second certification center in Russia.
It will be aimed at providing legal support, information and consultations to the process stake holders.
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Beginning from 2000, Novgorod Consulting Fund "Standard-test" starts to publish the journal "Forest certification".
The journal will contain information, concerning the forest certification development process in Europe.
The following topics will be presented in the journal:
- certification systems and schemes
- legal and normative documents
- ideas and initiatives
- certified wood trade
- funny stories in the world of forest certification
If you are interested in publishing of your materials in the journal, please send them to Editor, Elena Vassilieva, by the following e-mail address: staip@mail.natm.ru
The text should be presented in one of the languages: English/French/Russian (not more than 3 pages).
The journal will being sent by mail in all regions of Russia, CIS, Europe. In this connection, please let us know you address.
The distribution is free.
Publication will be distributed among subscribers in Russia, CIS and Europe. Entries to the magazine can be submitted to: staip@mail.natm.ru, or Bolshya Saint-Petersburg ul. 81/2, Velikiy Novgorod, Russia 173008 For editor Elena Vasilyeva.
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29 th December 1999, Novgorod Regional Duma approved Conception of social and economic development of the region for 2000. Conception defined introduction and development of certification process in the forest industry complex, in accordance with FSC criteria and ISO standards.
Novgorod Certification Center is the main co-ordinator and performer
of certification programme in the Novgorod region.
Alexander Yakovlev Director, of Novgorod Certification Center, yakovlev@stil.telecom.nov.ru
FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL FORESTRY
Session of the Coordination Body of the national task force for volunteer FSC certification was held in Moscow at the end of January. Members of Russian NGOs' Forest Club participated in the meeting. According to the regulations anyone who wants to be involved in the process of national FSC standards development and has a recommendation of one of
the Coordination Body members, is welcome to join the task force.
Komi Republic and Novgorod region standards developed recently were discussed at the meeting. They worked out several new criteria of the sustainability that can be estimated by a certification body.
These criteria can be also applied in other regions within certification activities and enable the process itself.
It was also mentioned that national standards are to be termly updated in order to meet the needs of the age.
Russian branch of WWF announced that the Association of ecologically
responsible timber manufactures has been created in Russia.
It is aimed to promote and introduce the products of responsible
forest manufactures to the international market.
FOREST WATCH IN RUSSIA
Meeting of "The Forest Watch" group was held in Moscow region in last decade of January.
Lack of a reliable information about forests in Russia stimulated Russian NGOs to launch in year 2000 the project aimed to estimate a present state of national forests. It is planned to use GIS technology, satellite images, several field trips to undisturbed taiga will be provided. The results of the project will be publicized. This project will hopefully become a part of The Global Forest Watch initiative launched by The World Resource Institute.
Michael Karpachevskiy, tilia@glasnet.ru
STATE SAYS "NO" TO MALAYSIAN LOGGERS AT THE FAR EAST:
EVER AND AGAIN
Russian State Ecological Committee "is deeply concerned by logging activities of the Rimbunan Hijau Company at the territory assigned to "The Upper Sukpay" nature reserve"- The Address to Khabarovskiy Kray Administration signed by Vice Chair man of The Committee, tells.
State ecological bodies consider it necessary to stop a lease of Rimbunan until the state environmental assessment of the documentation at the federal
level.
In fact it is not a first case of argument between state and Malaysian Company.
The previous example: according to the information from the Sukpay leskhoz (local branch of The Russian Forest Service) the activities of Rimbunan Hijau had been stopped once in October 1999. Special state commission obliged the company to modify the logging practices. The reason was that inspectors found out that Rimbunan loggers violated the logging
rules.
The company reported in several days that the problem had been solved.
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Forest Club model projects and sites
