«Komi Model Forest» project
Regional forest policy
- Initiative Working Group on the regional forest policy is formed and assembles main forest stakeholders of the region.
- Draft Concept of sustainable forest management and exploitation in the Komi Republic is developed and determines main aspects of the regional forest policy for a middle-term perspective till 2015.
- Draft Concept is accepted by the key forest stakeholders in the Komi Republic.
Pristine forests and biological diversity
- Inventory and ecological evaluation of pristine forests in the Priluzsky Leskhoz was carried out and made use of as the basis for decision-making in their conservation and sustainable management.
- Measures on conservation and sustainable management of pristine forests in the Komi Republic for 2001-2008 are under implementation. By the end of 2005 pristine forests underwent inventory in 22 forest units (leskhozes) of the Komi Republic in the area of 19,5 million hectares. Field determination of ecological value of pristine forests was carried out in 3 of the 22 leskhozes (Priluzsky, Letsky and Koygorodsky).
- Methodological recommendations on determination of ecological, social and economic value of large pristine forests areas in the Komi Republic were drawn up. On the basis of the performed evaluation there were proposed variants of solutions in conservation and sustainable management in the Udora Region of the Komi Republic.
- Recommendations on biodiversity conservation plan development and implementation during forestry and logging operations are elaborated.
- Recommendations on final felling in pristine forests with ecology conservation for the Komi Republic are elaborated and approved by the Head of the State Forestry Agency for the Komi Republic.
FSC-certification
- The area of the Priluzsky Leskhoz of 800 000 hectares and chain of custody of the 3 logging companies are certified by the FSC system.
- Cooperation in FSC-certification with the IKEA Project in the Kirov Region (100 000 ha) and Mondi Business Paper Syktyvkar (1 200 000 ha) is being continued.
- Komi regional FSC standard is elaborated and harmonized with the national standard.
Forest economy
- Rent assessment method of timber resources is developed and presented to the forest stakeholders.
Local population
- Public hearings procedure in forest management is prepared and approved in the Komi Model Forest. This served the grounds for the Main Directorate of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection for the Komi Republic to put a legal status to the “Recommendations On Public Hearings” to be applied on the whole territory.
- The “Statute On Allocation Of Mushroom And Berry Sites Of Mass Picking-Up On The Territory Of The State Forests” is drawn and accepted by the Main Directorate of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection for the Komi Republic on the basis of Komi Model Forest experience and is recommended for application throughout the Republic.
- The Public Forest Council is organized and functioning in the Priluzsky Region. It has involved the most active locals, informs and enlightens the public in sustainable forestry and assists interaction and cooperation between population and the forestry unit.
- The Project has support the local initiatives on:
- Establishment of the Forest Museum in the Priluzje (place, 2 expositions on the forestry history and forest exploitation);
- Recreation forest use (renovation of popular recreation areas is started in the Priluzsky Leskhoz territory).
- The Project experience in involvement of local population in forest management is disseminated in the Izhma and Pechora Regions of the Komi Republic. The Project has supported local initiatives of public hearings in the Izhma Region. There the municipal program on forest recreation and local tourism development has also started.
Forestry
- Recommendations on soil protection during logging operations were elaborated and approved in the KomiModel Forest. They were followed up by the officially approved “Recommendations On Forest Soil Conservation During Logging Operations In The Komi Republic” by the Main Directorate of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection for the Komi Republic.
Education and qualification improvement
- All necessary resources are available for extension courses in sustainable forestry (lectors, demonstration trails in the Priluzsky Leskhoz and Pechoro-Ilych Reserve, experimental polyons in the Priluzsky Leskhoz, infrastructure).
- Extension courses for forestry managers are carried out regularly.
- The course in sustainable forest management was attended by several hundred specialists of forestry, timber companies, ecologists.
- Rent assessment method of timber resources is developed and presented to the forest stakeholders.