Regional risk assessment for non-certified wood will be developed in Komi
The first meeting-seminar for the representatives of the parties interested in the development of the regional risk assessment for controlled wood at the republican level was held on October 25th in Syktyvkar on the initiative of the Russian national office of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Silver Taiga Foundation.
The term “controlled wood” was introduced in 2004 to definite the criteria of compliance of the non-certified wood purchased by FSC certified companies with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) principles. In the Komi Republic having a rapidly developing FSC certification process there are a lot of certified companies which need a good tool for risk assessment for the part of wood purchased from non-certified suppliers. This wood should pass the test for exclusion of illegal wood or wood harvested with violation of traditional and civil rights of the local population or cut in the high conservation value forest. Such controlling tool – national risk assessment for the controlled wood – is developed at the federal level. However, due to the fact that regions have some specific features, it’s required to assess the risks at the level of regions themselves – those, where it’s especially important, with their further integration into the national risk assessment.
The first meeting within the frameworks of this initiative in Komi brought together representatives of forest business, science, NGOs, local population of the forest districts, and forest service specialists. Tatiana Yanitskaya, certification coordinator of the Russian FSC office, introduced the procedure, rules, and requirements of FSC to the development of risk assessments for controlled wood to the meeting participants.
The participants of the meeting formed a working group of nine people – three in each of three sections (economical, ecological, and social). After approval of the regional working group members by the Technical Committee of the National working group, the group will address the assessment procedure and development of the document – Komi regional risk assessment for controlled wood.
Silver Taiga Foundation (project coordinator Elena Popova, Foundation ecologist) will coordinate this work in the Republic.