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Table of content:
ANOTHER RUSSIAN PARADOX:
Timber Business is friendlier to the forest than Ministry of nature
resources
Once again forests in Russia became a part of political and economic
games. The new team of nature resources ministry one more time is
chanting old slogan - let's cut more. In practice this means raising
annual logging amount up to 500 mln cubic meters. This idea
immediately found support within left-wing part of Russian Parliament.
Communist leader Zjuganov was very optimistic about logging more
timber.
It is clear that forest sector of the economy should be profitable,
but somehow all discussion is always held around only one issue -
cutting and exporting more roundwood.
If the country sees itself as more or less developed, it should shift
from raw log export to deeper wood processing. Even if international
market is not waiting openly for Russian processed wood products,
internal market of construction and furniture is booming.
Russian timber industry should pay more attention to local consumers,
but currently Russian State policy is aimed on logging and exporting
raw timber.
The Ministry of nature Resources, the heir of Russian Forest Service,
was meant to manage efficiently all the wealth it in inherited.
However, we are witnessing quiet opposite developments.
According to our information sources in the late March in Pushkino,
Moscow region, was held a conference. There the plans of the new
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Mr.Roschupkin were announced.
Unfortunately these plans make evident that the new Deputy Minister
who is responsible for the forest service (having absolutely no
experience in this sphere - he started his career as person
responsible for municipal services) is interested in neither future
reforestation works nor stale inability to conduct anti-fire measures.
Mr.Roschupkin announced an ambitious program of complex examination of
effectiveness of forest management in Russia. The idea of the
examination is that representatives of some other RCNR will inspect
every Regional Committee of Natural Resources (RCNR). The most
exciting business trip is waiting for Mordovian RCNR officials - they
will be sent to Chechnya.
The question was who would pay for these exercises remained
unanswered. Mr.Deputy Minister was actually rather annoyed by that
question, reminding that lately the real condition of the Ministry was
coma, and obviously no progress in problem solution was happening.
At the same time there was confirmed an information about enforcement
of the pilot forest credit treaty between Russia and the World Bank.
It was signed after several years of WB pushing for it, and was almost
considered dead.
Actually now the World Bank is in a difficult position. It has an
outdated project on its hands, as something that the project was aimed
on - Forest Service - no longer exists. There is only Ministry of
Nature Resources, finishing up the remains of the deceased Russian
forestry system. However, this very Ministry insists on its leading
role in distributing the funds aimed to help to reform Russian forest
industry, though among Ministry priorities is increasing of export of
wood, not timber, that is completely insufficient for the country that
want to have modern, restructured and developed forest industry.
The Minister of Nature resources Mr Artukhov became famous for
"managing" resources of his previous work place - the Road Fund, so
well, that no money for road construction was left. Actually, this was
one of the reasons why mr.Artyukhov had to move to Nature Resources
Ministry. Of course, 60 mlns USD from WB is more modest sum of money,
but under fair management it be a real help to Russian Forestry.
Or again this money will be spent to insure Central Russia from
tsunami, to buy fire-extinguishing boats for Leningrad oblast or to
buy coffee-set for the ministry.
The only hope is that Russian forest sector consists not only of the
Ministry but of forest businessmen too. They begin to understand that
it is much more profitable to sell a processed timber than a raw wood.
And they ask the government for only one thing - do not obstruct their
work.
Forest bulletin, http://www.forest.ru/eng/bulletin
THE ILLEGAL LOGGINGS IN ADYGHE ARE GOING ON
The illegal clear-cuts of forests in Adyghe Republic (the Caucasus, in
the south of Russia) are going on. Despite of the recent decision of
the new president of republic "About measures on maintenance of safety
of forests on territory of Republic Adyghe".
"This is very timely decree, - Andrew Rudomakha, the chairman of
branch of Socio-esologocal Union (SEU) on Western Caucasus speaks, -
but while it not supported with the real mechanism of its realization,
situation with illegal clear-cuts won't change".
The illegal logging permanently occur near to Maikop, in territory of
Kudgorsky Forestry. One of these days activists of SEU found another
site of illegal logging of 22 perfect oaks. They prevented the
transportation of wood from the place of cutting. The poachers were
not found.
Usually such cuttings remain unnoticed by the authorities. The main
reason is that timber cuttings and processing of wood is the basic
source of the income for great part of the inhabitants of nearby
settlements. Last 10 years the practice of illegal clear-cuts has got
really national character here. And even new rigid policy of Adyghe
management doesn't frighten woodcutters.
The prices for wood have grown. In opinion of the ecologists, one of
ways to imrove the situation, is to establish the control of the road
Maikop - Labyinsk. At night by this line the machines with wood go
from Kirozsky up to Maikop, but noone is trying to check them.
Speaking of illegal loggings at the Caucasus, we must say that it is
high time for international forest community to start a new campaigh
to protect Caucasuain forests. Illegally logged valuable timber, like
oak, beech, chestnut is exported to Turkey, Italy, Spain - to the
countries, where expensive furnitute is manufactured. Then this
furniture made from priceless Caucasian forests is sold for a handsome
price. Such furniture is also imported to Russia by different
furniture companies.
THE FUTURE RESERVE IN TOMSK REGION IS GIVEN FOR CLEAR-CUTS
March, 18-22 in Tomsk region the complex nature protection inspection
was held.
The inspection besides the experts of Committee of natural resources
Tomsk region included also the representatives of such NGO's as
Institute of the international ecological safety and Tomsk ecological
student's inspection. Many infringements in Teguldetsky area are
revealed. The inspectors were interested by the situation which is
around of the area of projected "Southern taiga fir reserve". The
territory is unique because there old-growth fir forests grow. The
area of planned reserve makes 83 thousand hectares.
However, in spite of the fact that the government of Russia has
approved organization of this reserve, the regional authorities gave
sites of territory of planned reserve in rent for 25 years to harvest
timber. The general area of rented sites makes 57 thousand hectares.
Also the conducting of wood economy and wood harvests were checked up.
Inspectors checked organizations "Teguldetsky Village timber
enterprise ", state organozation " Teguldetsky timber enterprise" and
timber harvest firm "State". Such infringements as non-observance of
technology harvest of wood, numerous infringements of conducting the
registration documentation are found out.
WOODCUTTERS WILL GO ON TRAIL
In Lipetsk region two local residents were arrested for felling 56
oaks without premission.
The trees were still young - 34-40 years (the age of such oaks for
industrial processing should be not less than 100 years). The loss to
a wood economy is more than 400 thousand roubles. The forestry is
going to collect this sum from the poachers in court. It's clear, that
illegal woodcutters would be unable to pay such sum (the oaks they cut
down they hoped to sell hardly more than for 1 thousand roubles - 30
usd). Whether this punishment stop other peasants from an illegal
craft of wood, it's difficult to say.
Some years back on the poacher who has cut down 200 cubic meters of
wood, was fined for 1 million roubles (30 000 usd).
THE "SNOWDROP" OPERATION HAS BEGUN IN VOLGOGRAD REGION
Illegal gathering and sale of rare plants, blossoming in spring is the
very sore problem for all southeast of Russia, and in particular, for
Volgograd and Volgograd region.
Annually in the markets of city it is possible to observe the same
picture: brisk sale of spring primroses (snowdrops) begins in February
- March (usually in the period from February, 14 till March, 8). Local
dealers offer wild-growing plants, first of all, brought of Krasnodar
and Stavropol territory (cyclamens, snowdrops, hellebores). Hardly
later - by the end of March, in April - the assortment is sharply
increased due to local wild-growing kinds (goose onions(bows), crested
birds, bulbocodium multi-coloured, a tulip two-floral, tulip of
Gesner, tulip of Birberstain, a hazel grouse Russian, low iris, a
glade Siberian, a lily of the valley May, and others).
It's generally known that some of these plants - the rare kinds
recommended to list in Red books of Russia and of the Volgograd
region. For example, the bulbocodium multi-coloured is very decorative
plant, the characteristic inhabitant of open steppe slopes, has got to
itself special popularity among dealers spring colors due to large
pink blossoms. It is one of the first appears in steppe and strongly
suffers that local residents constantly collect it on bouquets or dig
out. As a result number of this kind is sharply reduced.
Other kinds like tulip of Birberstain and tulip of Gesner (people call
them "snowdrop" and "an azure flower") are the most often objects of
encroachments - they are collected and sold most of all.
To stop this situation it's possible only with the joint coordinated
actions of the regional state and public ecological NGO's. First it's
necessary to improve the regional legislation in the field of wildlife
conservation. Now there is no Red book of the Volgograd area, there
are no special laws and the decisions of Regional Duma regulating use
of wild-growing plants, there is no appropriate mechanism of the
control of execution of these laws. Therefore suppression of illegal
gathering and trade in wild-growing colors is extremely complicated.
But there isn't time to wait for acceptance of laws. Therefore, since
2002 members of NGO "The Regional centre of biodiversity studying and
conservation" and "The Green Orbit" with assistance of Volgograd
regional administration's Committee on preservation of environment
have developed regional operation "Snowdrop". They have prepared a
package of information materials: the reference to citizens, the
poster with the image of local kinds of the plants listed in the Red
book. All these materials were distributed on city schools, in large
shopping centers and supermarkets of the town.
It is important to note, that "Eltonsky" national park created
recently in territory of the Volgograd region has active participate
in the operation "Snowdrop". At the territory of the park were kept
the unique dry-steppe sites which avoided of total ploughing up in the
Soviet times. At the end of April the tulip fields blossom there.
During the operation conversations with dealers, journalists,
officials were spent also.
Photos: http://www.seu.ru/projects/eng/snowdrop
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