Debacle over Russian forests

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Tatyana Sinitsyna.) The third Sunday of September (September 18 this year) is a traditional holiday for hundreds of thousands of forest workers in Russia.

Forests occupy 75% of Russia's territory, or 1,139 million hectares (1 hectare = 10,000 m2), stretching from the Pacific coast to the Baltic Sea. Russian forests play an important role in preventing climate change and diminishing man-induced impact on the atmosphere.

However, forests have not made a contribution to the Russian budget to the same extent as oil and gas. Turning forests into a major source of national wealth is a priority goal of the federal forest services.

A major obstacle is the inefficiency of forestry agencies. Valery Roshchupkin, head of the Federal Forestry Agency of the Natural Resources Ministry, said tree felling has reached only 21% of its capacity. Russia currently fells 170 million cubic meters of the possible 550 million.

Because of a shortage of machinery and production capacities, Russia mostly exports round timber, while inadequate control of felling leads to stealing on a scale embarrassing even to officials. According to unofficial data, over half of exported timber is felled illegally. The state is only beginning a determined campaign against this, using satellites to monitor forests.

The forestry workers day is not a corporate holiday because nearly all the Russians are connected with forests in one way or another. Forests are a traditional environment in Russia, where mushroom picking is a national hobby and an ancient trade, bringing the joy of being at one with Nature and adding to the people's diet.

But people are worried that their age-long "right" to pick mushrooms and berries will be curtailed by the privatization of forests, which liberals in the cabinet are trying to formalize.

The draft Forest Code submitted to parliament stipulates private property alongside other types of forest ownership. Although it said that "people may go to forests freely and without charge regardless of the ownership," many feel that bans and limitations may be imposed by the forests' new owners.

President Vladimir Putin openly expressed concern over the low standards of culture of Russian owners: "Owners' culture is a big problem [in Russia]. As for picking mushrooms and berries, I wouldn't be surprised if owners placed traps on their land."

Putin read the Code and made many notes on its margins. This may or may not be the reason why the term "privatization of forests" has disappeared from the latest wording of the Forest Code. Georgy Korovin, the director of the Center for Forest Environment and Productivity, said only trees growing on private land will be "private," and if somebody wants to go into the forestry business they will have to take a 25-year lease on land from the state.

The Battle of the Code is not over yet. Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref has suggested amendments to re-introduce the right of privatization. He thinks the Code should stipulate the right to sell forests to Russians and foreigners alike, arguing that this alone can restore order in the boundless Russian forests and make them profitable.

In the few years since the Code has been opened for discussion, 5,600 amendments have been suggested and more are still to come. The absence of a "forest constitution" is holding back reforms, but who will win the battle, the proponents or the opponents of forest ownership? We will know soon, because the Duma regards the Code as a priority and plans to finish hearings by the end of the year.