The Forest Dialogue held in Objachevo (Priluzje district of Komi) was initiated by the administration of Priluzje district and Priluzje forestry unit. The urgent forest use issues were discussed during the Dialogue.
Among the participants of the Dialogue “Forest relations: problems and ways out” were: the heads of the district Council and Administration, Priluzje and Letka forestry units, representatives of Mondi Syktyvkar and Luzales ltd., the heads of the administration of all rural settlements of Priluzje district, activists of the district social entities – Priluzje branch of “Komi Voityr”, the district Council of Elders and the district Council of Veterans. The representatives of the Komi State Forestry Service, Komi State Council and Silver Taiga Foundation participated in the Dialogue as well. Therefore, all interested parties (municipal officials, forest business, state forestry service, social entities and local population) took part in the discussion of the local forest use problems.
What problems were discussed? According to Alexander Boiko, the economic development manager of the district Administration, the local population complains about loggings close to the villages, breaking of roads and brook bridges by the heavy vehicles. There are also complaints about late transportation of wood out of logging sites. Another problem according to Alexander Boiko is that the outside logging companies which are operating in the district don’t pay anything to the district budget and losses of their activity are not covered at all.
Andrei Navalikhin, department head of the Komi State Forestry Service, presented a forestry legislative review, problems raised due to legislative imperfection and possible ways out of these problems.
According to Andrei issues devoted to the participation of the local population in forest management and local forest use are not properly developed in the Forestry Code 2006 compared to the previous one. The situation is eased a bit by the Legislative Act of the Komi Republic №136 “Management of forest relations on the territory of the Komi Republic”. As for loggings close to the villages (according to the legislation this is a commercial forest area and that is why it is rented out to the logging companies), Andrei proposed two possible ways out taking into consideration the current forestry legislation. The first one – to rent out this area to the local government and so to delegate all management functions to the local authorities. But it is impossible to fulfill all the functions on the local level. The second one – legislative initiative on development of «social forests» as a type of a designated area. Andrei also gave the participants to understand that according to the Forestry Code there are no any green (protected) areas close to the villages and such areas can be developed and legalized only as one of the designated area types.
The discussion was continued by the head of Priluzje forestry unit Alexander Kindsfater. He told that the opinions of the local population concerning the use of the forests close to the villages differ. Even now many people are not satisfied that forest sites available for local population use are far from the villages.
Alexander noticed that that the problem is urgent and each situation should be analyzed individually. This idea was also supported by the head of Letka forestry unit Sergei Ketov. The leasing area of some logging companies (Luzales ltd., Northern Timber Company ltd.) is really very close to the villages. It should be mentioned, that Luzales ltd. has refused to cut on some area for the benefit of the local population.
The following issues were also brought up: control over loggings, state of the forest area after cutting. «Unfortunately, according to the legislation there can be only two types of a law violation: illegal cutting outside the leasing area and destruction of young trees», – said Andrei Navalikhin. – Moreover, the State Forestry Service can carry out an inspection of the leaseholders only once in three years». Besides, the quality of control has also suffered because of the staff reduction: it has reduced six times over the last 10 years. In this connection Andrei paid the participants’ attention on the fact that an extraordinary inspection can be done only according to the request of the local population. That is why the more people act in this direction, the less violations are done.
Head of the district Council of Elders Semen Tugolukov agreed with this opinion: it is necessary to conduct a departmental and a public control. By the way, according to the participants of the Dialogue it is necessary to conduct a public control not only in the forest: once again the issue of non-purpose use of wood, allocated for buildings by the local population was brought up. The first necessary condition of public control conduction is information awareness. Not by accident Semen Tugolukov remembered, that Mondi Syktyvkar sends letters to a wide range of the interested parties asking about forest areas important for the local population. They also attach maps to the letters. As for Luzales ltd. they don’t have such experience yet. We wish the other logging companies would also do the same. Besides, the participants of the Forest Dialogue proposed to each settlement to have a map of nearby forest areas which are under lease in order to be informed about the general situation.
Head of Priluzje branch of “Komi Voityr” Konstantin Serditov spoke about the role of non-governmental organizations in regulation of forest relations. He mentioned that the Community Council, the district Council of Elders and Priluzje branch of “Komi Voityr” regularly raise forest use issues. Konstantin presented concrete proposals of the non-governmental organizations, for example, some amendments to the legislative act of the Komi Republic «Regulation of forest relations on the territory of the Komi Republic».
The participants of the Forest Dialogue proposed to the non-governmental organizations and the forestry units to update the maps important for the local population. It was also suggested Luzales ltd. to send out the preliminary plan of cutting to agree it with the local population. All the participants agreed to initiate the development and adoption of a normative act concerning public hearings on the issue of forest area leasing on the regional level because due to the changes in the federal legislation it is not necessary now to conduct public hearings and they are practically not conducted. All these conclusions are included into the final document of the Forest Dialogue.
Sustainable forest management and forest use are possible only when the opinions of all forest stakeholders are taken into consideration. That is why it is very important to arrange a negotiation process between the stakeholders. The Forest Dialogue gives such opportunity. The representatives of Priluzje district have participated in the Forest Dialogues conducted by Silver Taiga Foundation for several times already and so they have decided to transfer this experience to their district. The director of Silver Taiga Foundation Yury Pautov was invited to manage the Dialogue in Priluzje.
It looks like the first Forest Dialogue in Priluzje district has become a platform not only for the problem discussions but also for findings of better solutions, mutual understanding and cooperation.
Valentina Semyashkina
Translated by Anastasia Popova
Pupils Learn About the Tsar Fish of the Mezen River
| «Model river «Mezen» project by silverAnnouncement of the results of the district contest among the methodological developments of lesson or out-of-school activities on the topic “Tsar fish – Mezen salmon” has been held in the secondary school of the Glotovo village. The contest has been conducted by the Silver Taiga Foundation jointly with the Department of Education of the municipal district “Udorsky” within the frameworks of the “Model river Mezen” project.
The contest announced at the end of the last academic year was aimed at drawing the schoolteachers’ attention and through them the attention of their pupils and youth to the values and problems of the Mezen river. According to the organizers, the study of the peculiarities and condition of such flagship species of the Mezen ichthyofauna as the Atlantic salmon (salmon) will promote the extension of the pupils’ knowledge about the fish resources of the Mezen river basin in general and traditions of the respectful and responsible attitude to the river and its resources which play a huge role in the life of the people. It was also important to direct attention of the pupils to the current state of the species and the reasons of its degradation, as well as the conditions and possible ways for its restoration.
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Non-Governmental Organizations Came Forward with a Unified Position on Low-Disturbed Forests
| News by silverSix Russian environmental organizations – WWF Russia, Greenpeace Russia, Non-Profit Partnership “Transparent World”, Komi Regional Non-Profit Foundation “Silver Taiga”, Interregional Public Organization “Northern Environmental Coalition” (SPOK), and Kola Biodiversity Conservation Center – have developed and signed the document containing their unified position on low-disturbed forests.
It is referred to the large forest massifs (above 500 sq. km. and more than 10 km in width) representing the wildlife areas in the forest zone. The specialists call them low-disturbed forest areas (LDF) and highly appreciate their role in the conservation of the biodiversity, climate control, and environmental quality assurance in general. However, as a result of the commercial exploitation these last indigenous forests in Russia are disappearing at a catastrophic speed.
In the document signed by the NGOs representatives the necessity to stop the destruction of these valuable natural areas of prime importance is declared and specific recommendations on conservation of such territories are suggested.
According to the Silver Taiga Foundation Director Yury Pautov, who has taken part in the harmonization and editing of the document, an important point is that the declared Position combines different NGOs working both at the federal and regional levels. It shows to all stakeholders that this very union and mutual support are making us strong.
Besides, this unified position is a signal for the investors who hold themselves out as ecologically responsible forest users. Timber companies shall understand that if they lease the forest areas located within the low-disturbed forests massifs and announce intention to certify their forest management and products according to the FSC system they will inevitably face the problems with the environmental NGOs. It is confirmed by a recent conflict situation with LLC “Lesozavod №1” in the Komi Republic concerning the logging in the Core of the Verkne-Vashka massif of low-disturbed forest areas. All the more so, as currently non-governmental organizations are regularly monitoring exploitation of low-disturbed territories by space images.
More detailed information about the Position of the non-governmental environmental organizations of Russia on low-disturbed forest areas can be found here: http://www.wwf.ru/resources/news/article/12076.
Valentina Semyashkina
Translated by Irina Sokolova
Development of the Regional Risks Assessment Regarding FSC-controlled Wood
| News by silverThe third meeting of the Working Group under the project «Development of the regional risks assessment regarding FSC-controlled wood» was held on January, 29th in Silver Taiga office.
This project is being realized by Silver Taiga Foundation together with the Russian National FSC office. The main goal of the project is to develop a regional document on the basis of national risks assessment and with consideration of the Komi Republic peculiarity. The document will help the certified companies to assess the risks while purchasing the wood from noncertified suppliers.
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For Contribution to Sustainable Forest Management
| News by silverThe ecologist of Komi Regional Non-Profit Foundation “Silver Taiga” Elena Popova has been awarded by the Certificate of Honour of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Komi Republic. The head of the international and interregional programs department of the Ministry Tatjana Tyupenko handed the Certificate to Elena during the meeting of the Foundation’s Steering Committee not long ago.
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The “Silver Taiga” Ecologists Will Assess a Long-term Logging Impact on the Water Resources
| «Assessing a Long-term Logging Impact on the Water Resources» project by silverLast year, 2014, Komi Regional Non-Profit Foundation “Silver Taiga” started the implementation of a new project – “Assessment of a long-term logging impact on the water resources”. The project coordinator, Silver Taiga Foundation Director Yury PAUTOV, explains why the need for such project has emerged, tells about the challenges in its implementation, and its first results.
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Vacancy of ECOLOGIST
| News by silverSilver Taiga Foundation has announced a vacancy of ECOLOGIST.
Requirements:
Please send your resume by e-mail at office@komimodelforest.ru until February 25, 2014.
For additional information please refer to Anna Mikheeva by phone +7 (8212) 21-43-08.
Letter to Father Frost
| News by silverOn New Year’s Eve the interregional environmental organization «SPOK» (Republic of Karelia), «Kola Biodiversity Conservation Center » (Murmansk region), «Silver Taiga Foundation» (Komi Republic), «Green Wave» (St. Petersburg), WWF Arkhangelsk and also Greenpeace Russia send a letter to the Father Frost whose home is situated in Veliki Ustyug (Vologda region of Russia). The environmental organizations of the north-west of Russia asked the all-powerful Father Frost to help them to preserve valuable forests of Vologda region from destruction.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
| News by silverHappy 2014!
Dear our Colleagues!
We wish you only happiness and fortune in the coming New Year!
May our joint projects be successful and useful for everyone!
Silver Taiga team
Forest Dialogue in Priluzje
| News by silverThe Forest Dialogue held in Objachevo (Priluzje district of Komi) was initiated by the administration of Priluzje district and Priluzje forestry unit. The urgent forest use issues were discussed during the Dialogue.
Among the participants of the Dialogue “Forest relations: problems and ways out” were: the heads of the district Council and Administration, Priluzje and Letka forestry units, representatives of Mondi Syktyvkar and Luzales ltd., the heads of the administration of all rural settlements of Priluzje district, activists of the district social entities – Priluzje branch of “Komi Voityr”, the district Council of Elders and the district Council of Veterans. The representatives of the Komi State Forestry Service, Komi State Council and Silver Taiga Foundation participated in the Dialogue as well. Therefore, all interested parties (municipal officials, forest business, state forestry service, social entities and local population) took part in the discussion of the local forest use problems.
What problems were discussed? According to Alexander Boiko, the economic development manager of the district Administration, the local population complains about loggings close to the villages, breaking of roads and brook bridges by the heavy vehicles. There are also complaints about late transportation of wood out of logging sites. Another problem according to Alexander Boiko is that the outside logging companies which are operating in the district don’t pay anything to the district budget and losses of their activity are not covered at all.
Andrei Navalikhin, department head of the Komi State Forestry Service, presented a forestry legislative review, problems raised due to legislative imperfection and possible ways out of these problems.
According to Andrei issues devoted to the participation of the local population in forest management and local forest use are not properly developed in the Forestry Code 2006 compared to the previous one. The situation is eased a bit by the Legislative Act of the Komi Republic №136 “Management of forest relations on the territory of the Komi Republic”. As for loggings close to the villages (according to the legislation this is a commercial forest area and that is why it is rented out to the logging companies), Andrei proposed two possible ways out taking into consideration the current forestry legislation. The first one – to rent out this area to the local government and so to delegate all management functions to the local authorities. But it is impossible to fulfill all the functions on the local level. The second one – legislative initiative on development of «social forests» as a type of a designated area. Andrei also gave the participants to understand that according to the Forestry Code there are no any green (protected) areas close to the villages and such areas can be developed and legalized only as one of the designated area types.
The discussion was continued by the head of Priluzje forestry unit Alexander Kindsfater. He told that the opinions of the local population concerning the use of the forests close to the villages differ. Even now many people are not satisfied that forest sites available for local population use are far from the villages.
Alexander noticed that that the problem is urgent and each situation should be analyzed individually. This idea was also supported by the head of Letka forestry unit Sergei Ketov. The leasing area of some logging companies (Luzales ltd., Northern Timber Company ltd.) is really very close to the villages. It should be mentioned, that Luzales ltd. has refused to cut on some area for the benefit of the local population.
The following issues were also brought up: control over loggings, state of the forest area after cutting. «Unfortunately, according to the legislation there can be only two types of a law violation: illegal cutting outside the leasing area and destruction of young trees», – said Andrei Navalikhin. – Moreover, the State Forestry Service can carry out an inspection of the leaseholders only once in three years». Besides, the quality of control has also suffered because of the staff reduction: it has reduced six times over the last 10 years. In this connection Andrei paid the participants’ attention on the fact that an extraordinary inspection can be done only according to the request of the local population. That is why the more people act in this direction, the less violations are done.
Head of the district Council of Elders Semen Tugolukov agreed with this opinion: it is necessary to conduct a departmental and a public control. By the way, according to the participants of the Dialogue it is necessary to conduct a public control not only in the forest: once again the issue of non-purpose use of wood, allocated for buildings by the local population was brought up. The first necessary condition of public control conduction is information awareness. Not by accident Semen Tugolukov remembered, that Mondi Syktyvkar sends letters to a wide range of the interested parties asking about forest areas important for the local population. They also attach maps to the letters. As for Luzales ltd. they don’t have such experience yet. We wish the other logging companies would also do the same. Besides, the participants of the Forest Dialogue proposed to each settlement to have a map of nearby forest areas which are under lease in order to be informed about the general situation.
Head of Priluzje branch of “Komi Voityr” Konstantin Serditov spoke about the role of non-governmental organizations in regulation of forest relations. He mentioned that the Community Council, the district Council of Elders and Priluzje branch of “Komi Voityr” regularly raise forest use issues. Konstantin presented concrete proposals of the non-governmental organizations, for example, some amendments to the legislative act of the Komi Republic «Regulation of forest relations on the territory of the Komi Republic».
The participants of the Forest Dialogue proposed to the non-governmental organizations and the forestry units to update the maps important for the local population. It was also suggested Luzales ltd. to send out the preliminary plan of cutting to agree it with the local population. All the participants agreed to initiate the development and adoption of a normative act concerning public hearings on the issue of forest area leasing on the regional level because due to the changes in the federal legislation it is not necessary now to conduct public hearings and they are practically not conducted. All these conclusions are included into the final document of the Forest Dialogue.
Sustainable forest management and forest use are possible only when the opinions of all forest stakeholders are taken into consideration. That is why it is very important to arrange a negotiation process between the stakeholders. The Forest Dialogue gives such opportunity. The representatives of Priluzje district have participated in the Forest Dialogues conducted by Silver Taiga Foundation for several times already and so they have decided to transfer this experience to their district. The director of Silver Taiga Foundation Yury Pautov was invited to manage the Dialogue in Priluzje.
It looks like the first Forest Dialogue in Priluzje district has become a platform not only for the problem discussions but also for findings of better solutions, mutual understanding and cooperation.
Valentina Semyashkina
Translated by Anastasia Popova
Model River Mezen Project will Go On
| «Model river «Mezen» project by silverThe regular meeting of the Model River Mezen project Working Group took place on November, 22. It was devoted to 2013 working results and also to intermediate results of the first project stage and activity planning for the nearest future.
Silver Taiga ecologist Nikolai Shuktomov informed the participants of the meeting about the results of October expedition under annual monitoring of natural salmon reproduction conditions and efficiency in Mezen river basin and about an initiative of nonmigratory fish species monitoring by «AgroUdora» cooperative.
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