The Growing Number of Model Forests

On April 15-16, 2009 the Deputy Director of Silver Taiga Foundation Yury Pautov shared the experience of Komi Model forest development in Nizhniy Novgorod region of Russia.

The meeting was initiated by the Forestry Service of Nizhniy Novgorod region and Finnish consulting company «INDUFOR» which are going to create a Model forest under Russian-Finnish program of cooperation with regard to sustainable forest use in the North-West of Russia. The program is being implemented already in Vologda, Archangelsk and Murmansk regions and the Republics of Komi and Karelia.

The meeting was devoted mainly to informing of the interested parties about the project perspectives and to the definition of the project priorities and main activities. At first it was planned to involve several parts of the forestry unit of Nizhniy Novgorod region with the total area of 40 000 ha. During the meeting it was proposed to enlarge the territory of the future Model forest including the biospheric reserve «Nizhegorodskoe Zavolzhje».

The name, structure, the forms of management and financing of a new Model forest are not defined yet. Moreover most of the participants of the meeting showed an interest in the project and are ready to cooperate in its development.

According to Komi Model forest experience the mutual interest and cooperation of the interested parties is the passport to the project success. Let’s hope for a new successful Model forest in the North-West of Russia.