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Table of content:
SANTA KLAUS WAS ARRESTED WHEN TRYING TO SAVE KOLA FORESTS
On 25th of April in Murmansk (Kola Peninsula) Ded Moroz (Russian Santa
Klaus) met regional environmental public to deliver their suggestions on
forest management to the Murmansk Governor Yuri Evdokimov. The reason for
people to make such an action is that the way of local forests management is
damaging not only people's but also Santa Klaus' environment. But when
trying to deliver people's suggestions Santa Klaus was arrested and taken to
a prison. His last exclamation was "Freedom for Santa Klaus!"
The suggestions on forest management sent to Murmansk Governor were signed
by KBCC, Ecocenter "Gaya", "Nature and Youth", Murmansk regional Saami
organization and some other regional public organizations. Together with
Rainbow Keepers they organized the performance to attract attention to the
nature protection problems. Participants of the action hanged a sign in
front of the Governmental building saing "Who will save our forests: the
Governor or Santa Klaus?" Then Santa Klaus and his granddaughter Snegurochka
(snow girl) appeared. Santa Klaus joined the green organizations, because he
lives in Forest and now his environment is in danger. He brought a dry log
of the Kola Last Tree and participants were sawing it and presenting to
public for a memory that once there were forests on Kola Peninsula. Santa
Klaus tried to pass this log to the Governor as a gift but police take Santa
Klaus off. There he spent 3 hours and than brought into court where he was
sentenced to 200-rubles (around 7 USD) fine.
The main suggestions of Kola public organizations to the regional overnmant
were:
- to examine current forest management in Murmansk region with public
access to this examination
- to undertake efficient measures for solving of critical problems in
forest sphere
- to begin creation of 4 nature reserves (including "Khibiny" and "Kutsa"
national parks, "Lapland forest" and "Poriy forest" reserves) as regional
authorities had already received money from different sources (including
Finnish government) for creation of several protected areas aimed at forest
conservation
- to develop regional forest legislation taking into account particular
features of northern forests, at first turn its unique environmental
function
- to develop regional legislation on traditional land-use and
participation of the indigenous people in nature recourse management
- to stop wasting of State Ecological Fund money and to use it only for
environmental conservation and restoration as it required by the law.
For further information:
Kola Biodiversity Conservation Center 184209, Russia, Murmansky region,
Apatity, p/o box 279
tel/fax +7(81555)76912, tel. +7(81555)75025 e-mail: lepores@aprec.ru
CAUCASES MOUNTAIN SANCTUARY GOT I IN TROUBLE
Entrerpeneurs wish to sacrifice wild area with unique in the world species
to recreation industry. The Caucases State Nature Preserve (Zapovednik) has
successfully escaped the motor road Lagonaki - Dagomys building project to
face a new challenge from recreation and tourist industry dealers - informs
the Sochi department of the Russian Geographic Society. The recently
appeared Red Glade (Krasnaja Pol'ana) mountain microclimatic resort
construction is revealed as nothing but another attempt to renew the
construction of the winter Olympic games complex. The authors of the project
champion the idea of necessity of using Red Glade as a model of area for the
introducing of ecologically pure, energy raw saving technologies.
Indeed a number of regulations of this concept contradict federal and
international nature conservation legislation. It is planned to construct a
giant complex of sport tourist structures space of 10 200 hectares. It is
supposed to locate the main portion of these structures on the territory of
a sanctuary (reserve) and its protected and experimental zones and also at
the territories of Sochi city national park where numerous nature relic
places and rare species are present. This ill-will project embraces the
seizure of Turji (Aurochs) mountain reserve and tract slopes of Agepsta up
to the mountain Tikchaja (Quiet) (about 1000 hectares). This action of
industry is aimed at building ski-tracks, perceiving the dubious ideas of
funicular road system construction along the river Mzymta valley down to its
protected riverhead, 50 km funicular road in the area of Engelman glades and
the construction of 17 kilometer motor way through the nature preserve "Roza
Kchutor" (Roza Estate). The beginning of construction at the territory close
to the unique nature reserve, which is enclosed into UNESCO World Heritage
list, has already begun though no Environment Impact Assessment had been
carried out. But all the protests of expert academic commission in charge
are still being ignored.
In facts such protest should be regarded reasonable. The "conception"
presupposes the passing attendance of 20 thousand man-days but at time of
sport events it can be raised to serve 40 people a day.
At present hotels and camping stations of Red Glade are restricted to the
limit of 1000 visitors meanwhile the intensive pressure ought to drive to
irrevocable changes in the functioning of mountain biosphere ecological
systems. This will lead to the extinction of unique plant and animal
associations. In addition already at the primer stage of construction would
result in destruction of the outcrops of mineral springs located at the
Engelman Glades along Bzych River to the foot of Gruchevyj range.
The profit chase enforces authors of "conception" to neglect all these
arguments.
At the same time according to the opinion of physicians of the already
existing resort the area of Red Glade is specially to cure coronary heart
vascular diseases, neurological, gastric-intestinal and lungs dysfunction.
Ecologists are urging the local authorities to review the pseudo-ecological
concept and to elaborate the its alternative variants consciously using the
world experience of principal development of the specially protected nature
territories.
Further information:
Julia Naberezhnaya, e-mail: mzeamta@mail.ru
RUSSIAN FOREST CERTIFICATION DEBATE GOING ON
The last conference of National Working Group on the voluntary forest
certification took place in Moscow from 19th to 20th of April 2001. The
creation of the group was the initiative of environmental organizations that
aimed to promote the voluntary forest certification and develop national
certification standards in frames of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
regulations.
One of the main results of the conference was the fact of broad discussion
of the frame standards, states Mikhail Karpachevsky, head of the
Biodiversity Conservation Center forest program. The arguments about the
standards was really sharp, the points of view on this topic among the
participants were quite opposite. According to the FSC principles the
consensus between environmental, economical and social sectors
representatives is required, so we can foresee a lot of arguments.
All participants of the conference agreed that delay of standards acceptance
can cause problems for forest industry units that wish to be certified as
well as for the certification process in Russia. Besides of the
certification development, the question of the forest privatization was also
discussed at the conference. The latest institutional changes in the system
of the state natural resources management and the programs of the
development of Russia created by Kremlin analysts forced the participants to
pay attention to this topic. In the market-driven economy conditions forest
according to these analysts should be in state possession, and if the
management is ineffective the state should get rid of its possession.
Probably such programs are only the covers to hide the next wave of
privatization - the intention to sell out the natural resources. Surely it
raised concern among different organizations and experts.
The members of National Working Group demanded from Russian government to
take decisions only after the broad discussion with all the interested
parties will be provided.
WHO CAN HELP MOSCOW'S BYTZA?
The participants of the annual school conference "Friends of Bytza" held in
Moscow in April are convinced that only their own efforts can preserve this
unique park. This park is a real oasis of nature in the megalopolis. A
traditional place of rest for residents of many nearby districts. Here the
rivers Chertanovka and Bytza take the beginning. It is still possible to
listen to birds and admire the unique nature. The agenda of the conference
contained many items on the problems of Bytza Park. Its territory is all
polluted, covered by burnt places. The pollution of rivers causes the trees
to fade and leads to deforestation, perishing of mammals, rare species of
birds. The unique butterfly of Machaon is already perished in Bytza.
Another aspect is the increasing of construction the nearby territories.
Streets, blocks of houses, garages, markets and even a gigantic customs
center are clipping in the territory of Bytza. According to nature laws
forests can not exist without edge. In case it is occupied the forest moves
along to restore the balance.
The participants of the conference think that such problems can be decided
not only by the government though such actions as collecting waste,
lecturing to residents on the necessity of conservation of this place as
well as taking care of springs can be carried out by pupils and teachers.
All the people concerned decided to solve these problems to save the forest
for the future generations. At present students and teachers organize
ecological actions cleaning the polluted areas, create the net of ecological
roots, and make local museum in the park administration and at a local
school.
The plans are great: to institute zones of "responsibility" for all nearby
schools, to establish more tight contacts with the park administrations. The
discussion about snowdrop protection is developed. This will include the
work out of mottoes, explaining to people the necessity of park conservation
and rules of behaving in it.
It is really a burning issue of our megalopolis and this is reflected in the
work of conference that unites several schools and provides the ecological
education, conscious treatment and active citizen position. Students choose
topics for their reports at which they are working for several years up to
leaving school and in May-July they have annual ecological practice. School
association invites sponsors and applies for financial help of certain
projects. Every citizen can add to the conservation of Bytza - claimed the
participants
THE REVIVAL OF FORESTS - THE METHODS ARE REQUIRED
21 and 22 of April the meeting of regional ecological and nature
conservation organizations organized by the club "Ecology" took place in
Novgorod.
One of the discussed questions was the revival of oakery. Here in Novgorod
region the conservation and revival oakery movement is most active. It is
important to remember that oaks constitute the significant part of natural
and culturally historical landscape.
At the conference were present projects and ideas of the Forest Campaign of
the Socio-Ecological Union in the framework of the program "Oak trees of
Russia". The discussion displayed the considerable interest to the problem.
The participants shared the experience on broadleaf forests conservation.
The absence of simple and demonstrative methods of oak trees planting and
further raising of seedlings is a stumbling block restricting the use of
such methods.
At present the Campaign carries out the research work but the development
demands more efforts. To raise oak trees requires special conditions that
call for more expert workers. The plans are to conduct a regional meeting of
specialists and experts involved in the revival of broadleaf forests located
at this territory.
All those ready to share their experience and to join the project are
welcome to contact Vladimir Zakharov, E-mail: forestnews@online.ru
http://oaks.forest.ru (In Russian only)
GREENS AND FOREST MANUFACTURERS - IN A ONE BOAT
Representatives of Socio-Ecological Union and Greenpeace Russia had a
meeting with the management of two big forest companies: International Paper
(American) and "Ilim Pulp Enterprise" (Russian) on the board of Greenpeace
ship in Saint Petersburg at the end of April.
They discussed the Russian prospective of different systems of certification
and the application of data on undisturbed forest massive appeared within
the Russian Forest watch project. Both parties are considering conducting a
joint workshop on the relevant issues.
Ilim Pulp Eneterprise representatives said they were willing to participate
in a joint field research this summer. The area suggested for the research
is one of the undisturbed forests massive around the company's Paper and
Pulp Plant in Archangelsk region.
For further information:
Socio-Ecological Union, Alexey Grigoriev, grig@bcc.seu.ru
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