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Promoting Sustainable Forest Management in Russia. Elena Kulikova, WWF Russia Forest Programme Director. Russian Forest Sector : Overall Context. Forests of Russia: Wealth and Poverty. Forest sector as a part of r esource-based economy 22% of World forests 3% of World timber trade
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Promoting Sustainable Forest Management in Russia Elena Kulikova, WWF Russia Forest Programme Director
Forests of Russia:WealthandPoverty • Forest sector as a part of resource-based economy • 22% of World forests • 3%of World timber trade • 1 place in World by amount of round wood trade • The lowest stumpage fee in the World • Profit from forest management per 1 ha about 10 times less, than in Scandinavia
Global Importance of Russian Forests: Biodiversity and Climate Change Agenda • One of four mega-areas of intact forests in the World (along with Canada, Brazil, and Congo basin) • Russia accounts for 25% of the world's large massifs of intact forests • Russian boreal forests has highest biodiversity and endemism among the other boreal forests in the World • Sink for 15% of global CO2 emissions
The pioneer “mining” of intact forests massifs is still on-going Imperfect forest management practice The biodiversity of commercial forests is decreasing (share of aspen and birch increased up to 30-40% of total area) As the result of forest fires about 2 mln ha of commercial forests burn every year Key Ecological Problems of Russian Forests
On-going Reforms in Russian Forest Sector • Forest Code (frame character, about 60 sub-ordinate normative acts needed to be developed) • Maximum decentralization - delivery of responsibilities on forest management to the regional level (re-organization of stricture and staff) • Changing in export tax policy for round wood • Priority investment projects • May, 2008 – new Government, forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture, new Head of FFA
Specificity of Forest Reforms Implementation • All they are implemented simultaneously • Short-term period of realization • Lack of information and communications, a lot of uncertainties • Lack of public involvement into decision-making process
WWF RussiaForest Programme Priorities • Forest Policy,FLEG and illegal logging • HCVF • Model forests • Certification • GFTN • Forest and Climate
Forest Policy • Tools: Public Ecological Council under Federal Forestry Agency and Forest Council under the Ministry of Agriculture • Major problem: low quality of new forest legislation • Developing set of amendments • A scorecard of ecological responsibility and sustainability of forest management of Russian forest regions has been created (by 2010)
Status of FLEG Issues • Programme of measures on elimination of illegal turnover of wood, adopted by the Government (February, 2007). • Federal level - set of activities • Regional initiatives • Relevant agencies’ activities (Ministry of Interior, Custom, Transportation, etc.)
Status of FLEG Issues BUT… • Due to reforms, uncertainties in legislation, poor practice of law enforcement, etc. scale of illegal logging is raising • There are no regional bodies designated for forest violation control or they are very limited in capacities • Forest guard is abolished and its functions are distributed among 5-9 servicies • Statistic is not available
FSCCertification in Russia
FSC standard • November 11, 2008 Russian national FSC standard got official accreditation. • Development of this standard started in 1998; the last (fifth) version of it was sent to FSC in December 2007.
Rate of FSC Certification Growth in Russia • 2000 – first certificate in Altaysky Kray - 32,7 thousand ha • 2009 – 21 ml ha (North-West, Siberia, Far East) • It comprises 15% of commercial forests • 2-nd place in the world • Leads to improved forest management
Russian Export of Forest Products by Value in 2008 Total Russian Export of Forest Products in 2008: 12 549 million USD
Problems of Russian Forests ILLEGAL LOGGING LOGGING IN HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE FORESTS POOR FOREST MANAGEMENT Russia avoided deforestation, However there is a lack of high-quality wood in accessible commercial areas
Global Forest and Trade Network – Russia GFTN in Russia was established in 1999 as the Association of Environmentally Responsible Timber Producers Goal – to eliminate illegal logging and drive improvements in forest management by encouraging voluntary forest certification At present, GFTN-Russia consists of 50 participants and 10 applicants, Which manage near 24.8 million ha of leased forests, or 21% of such forests in Russia
GFTN-Russia in 2009 1 –Ilim Group2 – Arkhangelsk PPM3 –Volga4 – Solombala Sawmill5 – Kartontara6 – TAMAK7 – Sawmill-25 8 – Cherepovetsles9 – Lesosibirsk Sawmill-110 – Solikamskbumprom11 –SLT–Sawmill-312 –Fankom13 –Dammers14 –Swedwood Tikhvin 15 –Siberian Silver Pine–Management16 –Zalazna Sawmill17 –VM-Invest18 –Cardinal19 –Les Export20 – Premium-les21 – Yeniseylesozavod22 – Arkhangelsk Sawmill-323 – Priozersky DOZ24 – Terneyles25 – Lesinterkom26 – Titan-Lesprom27 – Technoclassik 28 – Mospromstroymaterialy-Vyatka29 – Pankratov30 – Primorsklesprom31 – Primorsky GOK32 – Serebryanaya Sosna33 – TMKPerspektiva34 – MondiSyktyvkar35 – Kay36 – Segezha PPM37 – Sorvizhi-les38 – Kata39 – Malakhit40 – PLO Onegales41 – Prizma Holz42 – Onega Sawmill43 – Investlesprom44 – ResursLesTrans45 – Delta-Plus46 – Lesprom-Invest47 – Baikal48 – Gogohiya49 – Exportles Co.50 – Sib-Ekologiya
Pulp & Paper Fibreboard Sawnwood Furniture 16% 13% 32% 35% 68% 65% 84% 87% Shaped wood Round wood 5% 6% 95% 94% Share of GFTN-Russia Participants in the Russian Forest Export
Voluntary Forest Certification Systems in Russia FSC certification began in Russia in 2000 FSC National Standard was endorsed in 2008 FSC forest area – 21.5 mln ha PEFC National Standard was endorsed in 2009 PEFC forest area – 0 ha FSC controlled wood certification and other legality verification systems
FSC certification Development in Russia All over the world – > 100 ml ha in> 80 countries Canada – > 24 ml ha
FSC COC Certificates in Russia 2008 – 19, 2009 – 11
FSC FM certificates The biggest areas : IlimSeverLes – 1 677 413 ha IlimSibLes – 1 589 944 ha Segezha PPM - 1 524 470 ha The smallest areas: Mospromstroymaterialy-Vyatka – 4263 ha Lesintercom – 6903 ha Priozersky lesokombinat – 8707 ha The biggest certified companies: Ilim Group – 4 323 116 га Investlesprom – 3 994 821 га Mondi Syktyvkar – 3 078 091 га Siberia – 4 965 481 ha (22%) Far East – 1 443 504 ha (6%)
FSC Promotion Campaign in Russia Main goals: 1. To communicate ecological, social and forest management features of certified forests/products, thus influencing the development of purchasing policies of companies and purchasing priorities. 2. To raise up FSC logo recognizability among the interested parties on a domestic market as a sign of guaranteethat the unwanted timber volumes are minimized and better forest preservation is secured Partners:
FSC Promotion Campaign in Russia 1 – Work with big customers of forest products (big corporate customers, including banks, with social responsible policies) 2 – State and municipal purchasing (Moscow, St.Petersburg, etc.) 3 – Work with big retailers (office paper, DIY, furniture, etc.) 4 – Work with individual customers (mass media, Internet, social advertising) 5 – FSC logo promotion (among corporate and individual customers, promotion campaign)
High Conservation Value Forests
High Conservation Value Forests • Concept is widely used by business in certification process • WWF role: adaptation to the Russian conditions, possible legalization, identification and mapping, management • Cases, geography, practical use • WWF «Key Requirements on HCVF for the FSC Process Participants» - widely using • Number of publications • Attempts of legalization are not successful yet
Topical Questions of Russian Forestry • How to ensure sustainable forest management • Profitability of forest use • Social and ecological issues of forest use • Role of forests in different forest-growing zones
Pskov Model Forest • System of intensive sustainable management is implemented and demonstrated for the first time in Russia • Priorities: • increased and stable profit, • conservation of biodiversity, • account of interests of local population
Nature Conservation Effect of Model Forests • Key question: is it necessary to explore remote primary forests including intact forests? • Idea of intensive sustainable forest management in secondary forests of already explored territories as an alternative of intact forests exploitation • Cluster approach • Already demonstrated ability under Russian conditions (Pskov Model Forest)
Forest and Cimate • Pioneer demonstrator project in North-West Russia • Forest conservation through the retiring of harvesting concessions – creation of regional protected area – decision of regional administration • Improving harvesting practices –forest harvesting company Svetlozerskles - FSC • GDNI- expertise on LULUCF • FCNI – membership in Advisory Board on green standards
Education, Training, Publications • Text book on sustainable forest management for secondary school • Text book on sustainable forest management for Higher Education • “Sustainable Forest Management” Journal