Verkhnaya Vashka Massif: Compromise has been Reached
Environmental NGOs and «Lesozavod №1» ltd. have signed an agreement for high conservation value forests (HCVF) conservation on the forest area leased by the company.
On November 12, 2013 a conference was held in the Ministry of Industry, Transport and Communication of the Komi Republic. The participants of the conference discussed the possibility of cuttings in Verkhnaya Vashka pristine forests massif located on the border of Komi and Arkhangelsk regions.
The conference was initiated by the management team of «Lesozavod №1» ltd.. The company is carrying out an investment project in the Komi Republic and its leasing area is fully located inside the most valuable part of the given pristine forests massif.
The representatives of Silver Taiga Foundation informed the management body of «Lesozavod №1» ltd. about the problem that they could face during their products realization in the international market as soon as the company had applied for the project in 2008. This is because Verkhnaya Vashka pristine forests massif belongs to high conservation value forests (HCVF). Such forests should be conserved as the last untouched wild nature massifs, which are of high national and international value. Moreover, the FSC-certified companies have hard limitation for cutting in these forest massifs as well as purchasing of wood out of the given massifs from outside suppliers is concerned.
«Lesozavod №1» started its work only in September this year. So it doesn’t have enough harvesting power. That is why the company has concluded harvesting and production-sharing contracts with other companies, in particular with forest branch of Ilim Group in Koryazhma. The last one is FSC-certified and is not entitled to harvest in Verkhnaya Vashka massif and to purchase wood out it. Mondi Syktyvkar has also refused from purchasing of paperwood out of the given massif. The management body of «Lesozavod №1» ltd. has addressed a request to Komi government to help in its critical situation.
Besides the representatives of the Ministry of Industry, Transport and Communication of the Komi Republic, there were the representatives of Ilim Group, Mondi Syktyvkar, the Komi State Forestry Agency, administration of Ust-Vym district of Komi («Lesozavod №1» is situated in this district of Komi), and Russian environmental organizations – WWF Russia, Greenpeace Russia, Arkhangelsk ecological initiative, Silver Taiga Foundation.
During the active discussion of the problem the representatives of the Komi State Forestry Agency suggested new leasing area to «Lesozavod №1» located outside Verkhnaya Vashka massif and also on the left bank of Vychegda river in Ust-Vym forestry unit close to the company location.
Unfortunately, the representatives of «Lesozavod №1» were not satisfied with the proposed area to lease. The environmental organizations agreed to compromise – give a part of the massif centre for cutting upon condition that an additional area in the other part of this valuable massif will be conserved.
Finally different variants of Verkhnaya Vashka massif centre territorial changes and possible cutting area for «Lesozavod №1» for the short and long term were proposed for consideration.
After stormy discussions and approval procedures environmental NGOs and «Lesozavod №1» have found a mutually acceptable variant. The “greens” gave nod to cutting of several quarters in north-east part of Verkhnaya Vashka massif in exchange for the company guarantee not to cut and not to build road infrastructure in its central and western parts (see Scheme 2).
It must be noted, that Verkhnaya Vashka pristine forests massif is located on the border of Komi and Arkhangelsk regions. Moreover, representatives of Arkhangelsk party have already agreed a regional nature reserve creation within the border territory (see Scheme 1). The representatives of Silver Taiga Foundation and the Komi scientific community have also proposed a regional nature reserve creation in the centre of the massif inside the Komi Republic. It means that the central and most valuable for biodiversity and wild nature conservation part of Verkhnaya Vashka massif could be a large interregional Special Protected Natural Area in perspective.
These reasons turned to be convincing both for officials and for business. Finally, on November, 22 the management team of «Lesozavod №1» ltd., Silver Taiga Foundation and WWF Arkhangelsk signed an Agreement for high conservation value forests (HCVF) conservation on the part of Verkhnaya Vashka massif territory leased by the company. According to the Agreement the company should not cut and build any roads within the zone of strict conservation during the whole leasing period until 2059. The buffer zone has also been agreed. And the company can cut there only by agreement of biodiversity conservation measures with the environmental organizations on regional and federal levels. The rest leasing area can be under logging. This compromise decision will contribute to conserve HCVF of Verkhnaya Vashka pristine forests area as much as possible. Moreover, it will give an opportunity to «Lesozavod №1» to develop its activity.
Yury Pautov,
Valentina Semyashkina
Translated by Anastasia Popova