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Table of content:
A LETTER TO PUTIN
Russian NGO Forest Club sent in the letter to President Putin calling his attention to the situation in Karelian forest sector. According to NGOs absolutely ineffective forest management being nothing else but the plunder of forest resources makes the regional economy unstable. Despite of introducing measures for forest use enhancement heads of regional forest sector try to accuse "green activists" of degradation of timber economy. The article of the regional trade-union leader A. Sedov published in "Lesnaya gazeta" (forest paper) became the last straw for activists. Forest establishment launched a real media war against ecologists.
Green activists are described in the article as monsters that destroyed regional economy. But if a public organization could ruin it, what is such economy about? - Forest Club wonders.
NGOs come out in favor of withdrawal of one third of all mature forests, - says Sedov. In reality ecological organizations suggest to provide the protection of 9,6 per cent of mature forest of Karelia till the guidelines of their protection and rational use are worked out. Russia owns world biggest massive of undisturbed taiga. And this wealth should be managed very carefully - consider ecologists.
Now those who try to prevent regional economy and ecology from degradation are accused of undermining of Karelian forest economy including very low export prices for round timber. But the real reason for this is a lack of any price policy in the region and lack of control over timber export from bodies responsible for forest protection.
Russian NGOs Forest Club agrees with A.Sedov when he says that "competent bodies" should immediately take measures and provide an audit of the regional forest economy. NGOs also care about this and it roused them to write the letter to President. They think that absolutely ineffective forest management in Karelia on the regional governmental level led to economical, ecological and social degradation of the region. NGOs urge federal authorities to solve the problem in the shortest possible time. They say that there are no such specialists in Karelia that would be competent to improve regional forest economy. At the same time for regional government it is much more convenient to leave current chaotic situation "as is".
According to the Forest Club most important problems of Karelian forest management are the following: a lack of state control over timber export; a misuse of funds assigned for forest regeneration; violation of law while providing forest use; logging in areas that are habitats of specially protected species; a lack of control over so-called social timber projects; an ineffective credit and grant management; a lack of means for local population to participate in decision making process.
To this letter Forest Club activists attached the documents containing their own analysis of present situation in Karelian forest complex.
Contacts: Alexey Yaroshenco, alexey@greenpeace.ru
ULYANOVSKAYA OBLAST' IS GROWING BALD
This part of Russia is not covered by dense taiga. The priority in this sandy and warm area in Volga river basin used to be given to forest regeneration and protection. But lack of funds assigned for forest protection activities in the region now turned into harvesting of timber in buffer zones and other illegal operations. The regional Ecological Committee gave permission for all these activities. Head of the Committee signed all the documentation that in fact completely changed the forest protection regime without environment impact assessment. Which is violation of Russian laws.
Taking into account geographic features of Ulyanovskaya oblast' which territory is covered mostly by quicksands such way of "forest management" might cause ecological catastrophe and desertification process there very soon.
SIBERIAN NATURE IS GETTING MORE LEGAL SUPPORT
New nature refuge "Urochische (natural boundary) Irkun" has been recently created in Amurskaya oblast' in South Siberia. It is located in the basin of very famous Russian river Amur. It was created to protect different kinds of steppe nature such as Mongolia and Northern Chinese types. It is habitiat for more than 30 rare species of plants included in Russian Red Book.
A VISION OF SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY AT KOLA PENINSULA
Workshop "Sustainable forestry in Murmanskaya oblast'" organized by Murmansk Forest Department and Park Service of Finland was held in Murmansk in March. Finnish partners are funding Russian projects on sustainable forest use and protection for several years. Within one of the project it is planned to provide landscape and ecological design of the model territory in Kovdozerskiy forest holding. NGOs were invited to participate in the discussion of the project guidelines.
Kovdozerskiy forest holding became a "good" example of unsustainable forest management. By now nine tenth of trees left there are young. Kovdozerskiy forests and it will be hardly possible to use this wood for industry purposes for several more decades. Local authorities now have to find other ways of economic development so they are going to introduce tourist services and non-timber forest use there.
Michael Karpachevskiy, Biodiversity Conservation Center, forest@bcc.seu.ru
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Forest Club model projects and sites
