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Table of content:
OAKS BEAUTY CONTEST IN RUSSIA
The results of contest "Whose oak is better" were summarized in
November. The unique competition has taken place recently in the city
of Staraya Russa in Novgorod region. The initiators are region-famous
clubs "Ecology" and "Bembi".
The fact is that an oak, a symbol of Russia, a sacred tree, can really
become a rarity soon. In 20-the century the speed of oakery
destruction is equal to those of tropical forests. According to
official data, last 32 years the area of oakery of the European part
of Russia has decreased 20%.
The oaks are no less useful, than jungle dwellers. Oaks are carrying
out water protecting function, are giving forage and roof to many
animals, improving soil, etc. It s a well-known fact, that acorns are
delicacy to wild boars, but bears also like it. They get on trees in
August and chew unripe acorns, & even are said to be blotto.
There are also "oak" omens. An oak protects house from a fire, an oak
planted near the house of a boozy man, is said to make him drink less.
An oak is also a symbol of wisdom and longevity, about it is mentioned
in many Russian fairy tales. We still can learn about these mighty
trees not only from fairy tales, but also from the researches, which
have been carried out during competition on a live material.
The contestants have carried out small oakery or parks researches;
experts of the University named after ancient Russian Prince Yaroslav
Mudrij created the questionnaire. This year schoolboys with their work
Age-old oaks of Tuleblia won the right to name their oakery the
Best (Tuleblia is the village near Staraya Russa). Schoolboys have
described every sapling in the district. Their research, as well as
other best works is available on the site http://oaks.forest.ru (in
Russian).
More than 30 people, mainly schools & university teachers, as well as
Novgorod forest institute representatives have taken part in the
meeting; together they have planted about 30 seedlings and more than
100 of acorns. Local population also took part in plantings, for they
have a very tremulous attitude to their own boskets, so they helped
the new ones to be born.
Local administration actively supports all ecological initiatives in
the region. Elated by success, the organizers plan to distribute the
competition outwards Novgorod region, they are themselves actively
engaged to oakery restoration. For example, A. Avdeev, the member of
"Ecology" club and expert of Novgorodmezhkhozles Association, has
personally planted 300 kg of acorns this year.
The oakeries of Novgorod region are not only natural heritage of the
territory, it s also its history, as well as the part of life of the
ancient city. Oaks patriarchs connected to various memorable events
of the past or the outstanding compatriots are bearing in mind (for
example, the oak on the site of the house of famouse Russian writer
Vitaly Bianki). However, many townspeople also have oaks of their own
of 200-300 years old, which simply grow on a back yard . They take
care of them no less, than about fruit trees.
The problem of oakeries restoration has become an occasion for
cooperation, even for opponents. For the greater overall performance
the initiators of an oak campaign in Novgorod plan to leave with the
offer on acceptance of the regional program directed on oakery
preservation and restoration. One of the encouraging moments is an
interdiction of oak cuts in the region set on April, 1999 by directive
of the Head of the administration.
Last year SEU has launched the Program Oaks of Russia; its efforts
enable to adjust an exchange of experience between the initiatives (on
Russia and not only), similar to this of Novgorod, and to spread and
promote the idea of forests restoration, especially those of oakeries.
DEGRADATION OF ECO-CONTROL SYSTEM IN RUSSIA IN PROGRESS.
SOCHI NATIONAL PARK CASE
The Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia that swallowed the State
Committee for Environment more than a year ago now make its own
efforts to drop the status of the protected areas. Ministry’s attempts
to merge the Caucasus Nature Reserve and the Sochi National Park to
the unite Caucasus Park (that means less strict protection regime for
the former nature reserve terrain) is the good example of this
tendency. Environmental NGOs suspect that these measures are aimed to
make the embezzlement of the protected areas resources easier.
While in the Caucasus nature reserve area is well controlled by its
own security service, there are many illegal logging sites detected in
the Sochi National Park. The trucks carrying the maple timber (species
which are strictly protected in the North Caucasus) are usual for this
territory. The special commission created by the Ministry of Natural
Resources discovered that some of these cuttings were allowed by the
park authorities, including the cuttings directly prohibited by the
park regulations. Some of these cuttings were described in documents as
“landscape works”, but instead of improving landscape the park
administration increased its own income selling the logged timber
abroad. Three ministerial inspections detected several illegal
cuttings for the last six months which means that the park security
system is ineffective.
The commission also detected some sand careers in the park area.
The commission also discovered some wrongdoing in tourist activity.
The administration even didn’t know how many agreements concerning
park territory rent was signed. Sometimes the authorities signed
agreements without license or before the license was received. There
was completely no documentation on buildings in the park and rental
period and limits of the recreation activity even wasn’t determined in
the agreements. Also there was no obligations to control and restore
the state of the rented areas.
Despite of the results of the inspection, the Ministry strongly pushes
for the possible merge of Sochi National Park and Caucasus Nature
Reserve. So the area of the present nature reserve may soon face the
same problems as the national park does.
KOMI GOVERNMENT APPROVED OLD-GROWTHNESS CRITERIA
The government of the Russian Republic of Komi approved the list of
the old-growth forests that was prepared by specialists of Priluzye
model forest. It also agreed on methods and procedure of further
determination of old-growth forests and declaring them protected
areas. Protection and sustainable management measures will be financed
from the regional budget. Control functions are laid on the Ministy
of Natural Resources of Komi.
Since 1997 Model Forest "Priluzheye" in Komi Republic of Russia is the
project of WWF International. It is aimed to create the educational
basis or forestry specialists, logging enterprise representatives and
public demonstrating environment sound and economically profitable
methods of harvesting trees.
KLIN - RUSSIAN NATIONAL FSC STANDARDS APPROBATED
In the late September, 2001, in Klin forestry (central Russia) with
the assistance of German Audit Company GFA Terra Systems GmbH the
project of Russian national framework FSC standards, worked out by the
national working group, was approbated. The members of the commission
simulated the real process of certification, examined the forestry
documentation (technical and financial), and checked the forestry
management standards in field.
As a result some indicators were simplified. In the approbation
process was discovered that it's too difficult to examine the whole
financial documentation, and it was decided to require the documents
confirming applicants' tax and financial accuracy. The framework
standards such as the procedure of defining of the cutting area or
old-growth forests protection were mentioned by specialists as positive.
The text of the framework standards was approved in general and would
be sent to FSC for the final approval.
Last year Woodmark, Britain Soil Association presented a report on
the results of first forest certification experience in Altay (South
Siberia) with forest enterprise Kosikhinskiy (KFE).
This enterprise got first FSC certificate for 5-year period.
According to the Russian Forest Code, certification of the forest
management should be introduced everywhere in the country. But after
the abolishment of Russian Forest Service no one knows which type of
certification will be promoted by the officials and whether it would
keep Russian forests from being used as a resource for getting quick
money for Mister Putin economy.
Additional information: Vladimir Chuprov, fscrussia@cityline.ru
About certification:http://www.forest.ru/eng/sustainable_forestry/certification
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Forest Club model projects and sites
