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Table of content:
NEW GOVERNMENT PROMISES HARD TIMES FOR ENVIRONMENT IN RUSSIA
On May 17 Decree of the new Russian President Vladimir Putin has eliminated existing environment protection system of the country. The Decree eliminated Environmental protection committee and Federal forest service, passing their functions to the different ministries, mainly to the Ministry of Natural Resources. Joining the functions of environmental resources use and control over this use will lead to no good. It is almost the same as to let the fox guard chicken house.
No one denies that the environment protection system that existed in Russia needed improvement. But the very fact of the Decree shows the tendencies of the new Government. And these tendencies are not inspiring. The developments show that the governmental course is based on increased resource and environment exploitation, mega-industry and project oriented. All this, together with attacks on independent media (on May 11, around 500 masked Federal Security Service people attacked and searched the building of Media-Most group. Its NTV channel is critical of the regime) and attempts to restrict information flow, promises hard times for environmental movement and civil society in general in Russia.
Russian NGOs sent a letter to Putin protesting against new "reforms".
In the letter they suggest the president to create a new institution to control environment situation in adddition to those already existing departments controlling nuclear energy use, sanitary situation, etc. And to create separate body to protect forests instead of previous combined variant of forest service, which used and protected forest resources. Several famous academicians gave this letter personally to Putin when he made a report at the annual meeting of Russian Academy of Science in Moscow.
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State Service and Ecological Committee do not exist anymore. But since the situation is unclear we keep using old names for them.
ALTAY: TAIGA IS A THORN IN LOGGERS SIDE
State expert commission recalled the project of industrial use of one more undisturbed massive of Siberian forests planned for conservation. Regional specialists developed scientific grounds for creation of National Park, then Tigirekskiy strict nature reserve was created there. Area that was not included into it, according to the governmental decision and scientific grounds should become a part of National Park in the future.
While this part of taiga was waiting for protection in 1999 Forest service just started logging in the "controversial" area. Public fax campaign was launched, protests were sent to state and regional authorities. All these efforts led to the creation of the special commission to estimate the ecological value of the forests. Commission confirmed the previous conclusions of the scientists. National Park will hopefully be established there very soon. But unfortunately even a special protective status might not safe the "sheep" from the "wolf".
FIRST FOREST CERTIFICATE IN RUSSIA
In March in Woodmark, Britain Soil Association presented a report on the results of forest certification in Altay (South Siberia) forest enterprise Kosikhinskiy (KFE) (See http://www.forest.ru/eng/sustainable_forestry/woodmark.html). This enterprise got first FSC certificate for 5-year period. Kosikhinsky Forest Enterprise was founded in 1971, it employs about 70 staff and runs two small sawmills. Round and sawn timber of birch, pine, aspen are produced there.
It is responsible for the 42,000 hectares of 'agricultural forest' in the district of Kosikha. The area in which the forest lies is a mosaic of forest and farmland with the agricultural land managed by 12 collective farms. Agricultural forests account for about 2 - 3 per cent of the national forest area. Agricultural forests are controlled through AGROLES, the Altai Agricultural Forest Division of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Management has identified the conflict between grazing of cattle in the forest and natural regeneration of tree species in the selective management system. Audit specialist advised the KFE to provide a dialogue with local people and find a way to limit
grazing.
Also according to new rules there will be no clearcuts in KFE otherwise FSC certificate will be recalled.
Although forest use in Kosihinskiy is certified as sustainable and ecologically responsible a lot of homework still has to be done, dozens mistakes should be corrected to meet all the FSC principles.
Soil Association and Russian NGOs will follow the process.
NOVGOROD CASE: CERTIFICATION BACKING
By now many forest industry enterprises of Novgorod region willing to introduce volunteer certification have recalled their application from FSC.
State Forest Service being out of the international certification process conducts itself like dog in the manger constantly trying to interfere in the process.
Novgorod branch of forest service recently outlawed FSC and ISO 14000 certification in Russia.
According to the new Russian Forest Code, certification of the forest management should be introduced everywhere in the country. The State Forest Service is working out the process guidelines now. We are still unclear about positive aspects of these "guidelines" but we can already see the negative ones.
Novgorod, one of the timber-exporting regions of Russia, used to be among the pioneers of the FSC certification process in the country. Forest certification is a part of the regional Concept of the Social and Economical Development.
CONTINUED: CHESTNUT "CONSERVATION" IN CAUCASUS
Regional authorities of Russian Caucasus (Republic of Adygeya) are still doing nothing to protect the pearl of European South from barbarian logging. Sweet chestnut is included into Red Book of Adygeya Republic. Trees have being cutting since the last year for "sanitary purposes" as some experts found them "sick". But during bloom period in spring it turned out that chestnut was healthy. And now regional forest enterprise has to create new expert group to diagnose chestnut.
Illegal logging was done in the area far from the other sweet chestnut natural habitats, which was in fact this species gene pool. More than 100 unique trees were cut.
Independent Ecological Service of North-West Caucasus (IES) sent official letters to regional authorities: Adygeya Ministry of Environment, Forest Committee and Prosecutor office urging them to investigate the case providing public participation in the process. Prosecutor stopped the logging but in March in spite of everything it started again. But till today no activities were undertaken by responsible bodies
Contact: IES, Dmitriy Bolotnikov, e-mail: ies@mail.ru
FIREBALL
According to the State Forest Service up to 11th of May almost 4 thousand fires were registered in Russia. Which is 300 ones more than we had last year for the same period of time. Most of them were caused by men. "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" Russian main governmental paper reports that up to date more than 312 thousand of hectares has been burnt out.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
TRN CONFERENCE IN RUSSIA
Dear friends,
We would like to invite you to the TRN conference Living With the Taiga - Boreal Forests in the 21st Century. The Fifth international conference of the Taiga Rescue Network is taking place outside Moscow, Russia, September 17-22. The conference will have a focus on multiple use forest management and is expected to gather some 200 participants from the boreal region and main consumer countries. Please visit the Forest Club website (http://www.forest.ru) or TRN website (http://www.snf.se/TRN) for more information on the conference.
We'd be grateful if you could spread this message to other people who might be interested in attending the conference.
Best regards,
The Coordinators, Taiga Rescue Network
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Boreal Forests of the World V
LIVING WITH THE TAIGA
-Boreal Forests in the 21st Century
September 17-22, Moscow, Russia
As we enter the 21st century, peoples, communities, countries and corporations are all searching for security -- security for environment, livelihoods and investments. Many of us are asking questions such as: What major trends are shaping the boreal forest? What is the status of multiple-use forest management in the taiga? Can the boreal forest be a source for industry, bring benefits to local populations and provide a home for animals? Is there such a thing as 'sustainable' industrial forestry? What lessons can indigenous peoples teach the rest of us about providing for community and wilderness?
Nowhere more than in Russia, which contains more than half of the world's coniferous forests and 40% of the standing old growth softwood timber, are those questions in urgent need of an answer. This is why we have chosen to hold our fifth international conference near Moscow on the theme of "Living with the Taiga" and the role of multiple use forest management in promoting socially beneficial, economically viable and ecologically sound forestry.
The conference program is structured to allow for a constructive, multi-stakeholder dialogue on the above questions and to publicize the numerous initiatives undertaken by civil society, governments and the private sector to protect and promote more socio-ecological and economic values, all of which are crucial elements for creating true sustainability in the taiga.
We expect a wide range of NGOs, governmental and industry leaders, multilateral aid agencies, academia and indigenous peoples from all across the taiga, and we hope you will join us. For details, please consult the attached preliminary program, and note that September 17, 21-22 are open only to TRN participant groups.
Following the NGO Days, post conference trips will be organized to other parts of Russia for those participants who wish to become more familiar with forest issues in difference regions of the Russian Federation. Trips of 4-5 days are being planned in the Russian Far East and in Siberia (Lake Baikal). The exact location and the agenda of the trips will be finalized in June. Places are limited on these trips and priority will be given to those who register early.
Find the conference announcement on the website (http://www.forest.ru/eng/workshops/trn). If you are interested in further information on the conference, please contact Dimitry Aksenov (trn@ecoline.ru) or the TRN International Coordination Centre
NEW BOOK ABOUT OLD-GROWTH FORESTS
THE LAST OF THE LAST: The Old-growth Forests of Boreal Europe (Dmitry Aksenov, Mikhail Karpachevskiy, Sarah Lloyd, and Alexei Yaroshenko. Editor Sarah Lloyd. - Moscow, Socio-ecological Union Int., 2000)
This publication is the result of the Old-growth Mapping Project conducted by a nuber of the TRN participants over last few years. It includes the old-growth forest maps of Northern Europe covering four countries: Finaland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.
Now the whole publication is available in Forest Club web-site: http://www.forest.ru/eng/publications/last
Contacts: Dmitry Aksenov picea@online.ru,
Mikhail Karpachevskiy forest@bcc.seu.ru
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