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Table
of Contents:
Overview
With 22 percent of the world's forested area (851 milllion
hectares), Russia has the largest forest resource of
any country in the world. The State owns nearly all
forests and other wooded lands in Russia. Russia's forests
are comprised mainly of northern boreal forest, with
mixed and broad-leaved forests to the south (birch,
aspen, alder, oaks and hornbeam). Coniferous species
make up 80 percent of the volume of growing stock, with
larch the predominant species over much of Siberia.
Other important tree species are Norway spruce and Scots
pine to the west, and spruces, pines and firs to the
east. The country has more than 17 million hectares
of planted forests. Given the magnitude of the forest
base, environmental protection and forest sustainability
issues in Russia have genuine global significance. Russia's
forests protect watersheds and conserve soil while providing
carbon storage to help regulate the global environment.
They host unique biological diversity and are home to
many threatened and endangered species including the
Siberian tiger, Siberian crane, and the very rare Amur
leopard.
At
the same time, Russia's forests provide 5% of export
earnings and two million jobs. Maintaining a sustainable
flow of renewable resources is critical to the health
and economic well being of the Russian people. Attaining
both goals - protecting the environment and providing
a continuous flow of timber and non-timber forest products
- requires careful land management over a wide range
of geographic and ecosystem scales.
.
Threats
to the Resource Base
Factors impeding the sustainable management of forest
resources are widespread in Russia and its biologically
diverse forests face several critical threats. In Siberia,
the Siberian moth impacts vast tracts of coniferous
forests by defoliating the trees, and fire often follows
defoliation, destroying remaining stands of wood. Harvesting
and management practices in accessible forests often
do not meet sustainability standards. And, socio-economic
factors impact heavily upon certain regions, leading
to unregulated harvesting, encroachment, and wildlife
poaching. Poor markets, lack of income generation from
forest products, declining social infrastructure, and
the legacy of the Soviet system exacerbate these threats.
In the Russian Far East, wildfire and selective logging
are primary threats to the forests. In 1998, wildfire
burned more than 5 million acres of forest in the Russian
Far East, resulting in the need for extensive reforestation
efforts. Russian officials have also identified illegal
logging as an important issue negatively impacting the
forest sector and have been taking steps to combat this
problem through improved legislation, monitoring, and
enforcement. However, additional steps are needed if
the productivity and sustainability of the Russian forests
are to be maintained.
Why
Does the US Forest Service Work in Russia?
Like the U.S., Russia contains temperate and boreal
forests. The forests share similar species, similar
forest health problems, and some common threats. Since
the mid-nineties, the US Forest Service has worked
with Russian partners, including the State Forestry
Service of Russia (formerly the Federal Forest Service),
on a number of efforts funded by the US Agency for International
Development, the US Forest Service, and the Russian
government. The U.S. and Russia have been collaborating
to: 1) promote sustainable forestry practices, 2) address
forest health issues and invasive species, and 3) expand
successful programs into other areas in Russia. Through
a series of training workshops, exchanges, and demonstration
projects, both countries have the opportunity to learn
from each other's experiences and technical approaches.
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Russia-China: Illegal Logging Transboundary Trade
In cooperation with the US State Department, USAID, and other non-governmental organizations, the US Forest Service is arranging workshops and training in Far Eastern Russia to address the large volume of illegally sourced timber and associated forest products flowing into China from Russia . The intention is to promote trans-boundary cooperation on the legal sourcing of timber.
The workshops and training, to be held in 2006 and 2007, will afford government and business representatives from the two countries an opportunity to become familiar with “best practices” for companies to promote legal and sustainable timber harvesting, and improve their understanding of the changing forest laws relevant to trans-boundary timber trade. Russian and Chinese business leaders will exchange experiences and discuss sustainable forest management practices. In particular, they will share information about the traceability of timber in cross-border trade, development of private sector independent verification systems, improved information flow and transparency, and the strengthening of public-private sector cooperation.
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Timber Compliance Assessment Partnership
(TCAP)
In 2005, the Russian Federation will host
a Europe and Northern Asia (ENA) regional Forest Law
Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) process in an effort
to find solutions to widespread illegal logging and
unsustainable forest practices throughout the region.
With the support of the US Forest Service and USAID
and in consultation with a diverse group of industry,
government, and NGO partners in the U.S. and Russia,
Global
Forest Watch (GFW) is developing an innovative geospatial
approach to assess forest management practices on the
ground and to determine compliance with environmental,
social, and economic sustainability criteria. The initiative
relies on publicly available satellite imagery and maps,
as well as additional information provided by partners.
TCAP is being implemented in Russia by the GFW Russia
network, and the partnership is striving to ensure that
all activities are transparent. This concept is being
tested in Russia during the period leading up to the
ENA-FLEG meeting, currently scheduled for fall 2005.
Partners
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Sakhalin
Salmon Initiative
Sakhalin
Island, the largest island in the Russian Federation,
is situated a short distance from the mainland across
the Mamiya Strait. Dense coniferous forests cover the
island and are home to numerous wildlife species. Whales,
sea-lions, seals, and dolphins can be found along the
sea coast. Sakhalin Island and the Russian Far East
provide important habitat for over 90 species of fish.
Seven fish species on Sakhalin are currently listed
as endangered, and an additional 20 have been recommended
for listing. At least 10 salmonid species inhabit the
waters in and around Sakhalin. Salmon have long been
important to the survival of indigenous communities
on Sakhalin. Currently, commercial fishing plays in
integral role in Sakhalin's economy, representing nearly
one third of the economy and an even higher percentage
of employment; fishery resources also represent an opportunity
for the development of ecotourism. In addition to direct
pressures to Sakhalin's fish, historic and ongoing habitat
destruction represents an increasing threat to these
resources.
The
US Forest Service is providing support for the Wild
Salmon Center and Siuslaw Institute's Sakhalin Salmon
Initiative and Restoration Partnership. Wild
Salmon Center, Siuslaw Institute, US Forest Service
experts, and others will pass on experience gained through
the Siuslaw River Basin Restoration Partnership and
the Suislaw
National Forest to initiate the restoration of a
damaged watershed on Sakhalin.
A
team of experts will travel to Sakhalin in May 2005
to identify a pilot watershed and further cultivate
additional relationships in the region. The first major
stakeholder meeting of the Sakhalin Salmon Initiative,
which will promote conservation and sustainable use
of wild salmon and their ecosystems, build institutional
capacity for conservation, and promote education and
sustainable economic development on Sakhalin Island,
is being planned for fall 2005.
Partners:
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Siberian Tiger Conservation Project
The Siberian, or Amur tiger is perhaps the
most critically endangered of all tiger subspecies.
Approximately 350-450 remain in the forests of Primorsky
Krai and Khabarovsky Krai in the Russian Far East. In
addition to poaching and forest fragmentation, intense
logging in the region has led to the near disappearance
of native Korean pine. In addition to providing habitat
for the tiger, this pine species produces nuts that
are a vital food source for elk, deer and boar, the
chief prey of the Siberian tiger. Therefore, substantial
pine habitat is integrally important to the size and
health of the tiger population. As suitable habitat
for tigers and their prey has disappeared or fragmented
into a few isolated parcels, the Siberian Tiger has
been forced to the brink of extinction.
Since
the early 1990's, a team of specialists from Russia
and the US Forest Service has worked to study the
ecology of the tiger and to build a tiger conservation
program. From 2001 to 2004, the US Forest Service
provided support for research on the population dynamics
of Siberian tiger prey populations, particularly wild
boar Sus scrofa and red deer Cervus elaphus, in the
Russian Far East. Our partners include scientists from
Russia's Sikhote Alin nature reserve and United States
scientists from the Wildlife
Conservation Society and the Department of Zoology
and Physiology of the University
of Wyoming.
In
September 2004, US Forest Service fielded a team that
traveled to Russia to share final project outcomes with
and receive feedback from Russian colleagues. This effort
has significantly improved understanding of prey populations
in the central portion of the tiger range in the Far
East and will lead to several joint publications. In
addition, the collaboration has strengthened relationships
between Russian and American scientists and further
developed scientifically based tiger conservation. This
portion of the project will be completed in 2005 with
the translation of documents into Russian.
Partners:
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Eco-tourism and Watershed Management
in Lake Baikal
Designated a United Nations World Heritage
Site, Lake Baikal is the worlds' deepest, oldest, and
largest (by volume) freshwater lake. In 2002, the US Forest Service established a long-term relationship
with Tahoe-Baikal Institute to promote development of
eco-tourism at Lake Baikal and to improve local capacity
for watershed management.
US Forest Service and the Tahoe-Baikal Institute developed
a series of training, research, and exchanges, specifically
focused on building a 1500-mile trail around the entire
lake, called the Great Baikal Trail, and on the improvement
of Baikal's largest watershed, the Selenga River. Both
projects build on lessons learned from the policies
and expertise developed within the Lake Tahoe watershed
in California and Nevada, as well as other watersheds
within the United States.
The
Great Baikal Trail will connect more than six protected
areas around Lake Baikal, offering tremendous opportunities
for low-impact tourism. In 2002 three experts from Lake
Baikal traveled to the United States to learn from local
specialists, work on trail crews, and attend seminars
on trail building and protected area management. These
experts included a long-term eco-tourism expert at Baikal
and the Great Baikal Trail project leader, and the senior
park ranger from the Zabaikalsky National Park (the
second largest park around Baikal). Additional activities
in 2002 included developing an interpretive brochure
in Russian and English for one of the most popular hiking
routes and supporting participants at the "Baikal
Tourism Conference" in Irkutsk, Russia to discuss
the Great Baikal Trail.
In
2003, a US Forest Service master trail builder and
an interpretive specialist from the U.S. Department
of Interior Bureau of Land Management traveled to Lake
Baikal to participate in a trail building exchange.
During their visit, they worked side-by-side with Russian
counterparts to demonstrate trail building techniques,
and approaches to make trails most accessible and educational
for nature tourists.
The
US Forest Service also works with the Tahoe Baikal
Institute to improve watershed planning for Lake Baikal's
largest tributary, the Selenga River, which stretches
into both Mongolia and Russia. The Selenga River program
goals include improving science as well as economic
and policy information; learning more about major pollution
sources; facilitating exchanges on watershed management
techniques; and recommending ways of improving conditions
in the Selenga watershed.
In
2004, the US Forest Service provided support to bring
officials and managers from Russia and Mongolia together
with US government, business, academic, and non-profit
leaders from the Lake Tahoe Basin to discuss protecting
the Lake Baikal watershed. The USFS-TBI partnership
will continue in 2005 with additional projects focused
on watershed management around Lake Baikal.
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Partners:
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Russian Far East Fire Program
The US Forest Service's work continues
in the Russian Far East in cooperation with the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID) and the
Russian Forest Service. Since its reorganization in
2001, the Russian State Forest Service is now organized
into large, geographically based units called okrug.
The Russian Far East Okrug includes the 11 Eastern Krai,
or regions. Fire-related activities in the Russian Far
East include development of a fire coordination center,
procurement of fire equipment, and sponsoring fire workshops.
Fire
Coordination
For the past ten years, various delegations of Russian
specialists and managers have traveled to the US to
view wildland firefighting programs. Many of these individuals
have returned home greatly impressed by the US system
of Interagency Fire Coordination Centers. In 2002, Chief
Forester for the Khabarovsk State Forest Service announced
that a pilot center for fire coordination and fire training
would be developed in Khabarovsk, Russia. In 2002 and
2003 delegations of US fire specialists traveled to
Khabarovsk to assist our partners in development of
the organizational structure and operating procedures
for a fire center. The delegation prepared several operating
plans as samples for use by the Russian specialists.
The Ministry of Natural Resources in Moscow has identified
the fire center to be a high priority for completion
and has determined that it will be used to coordinate
fire issues for the Russian Far East Federal Okrug.
This center will serve as model for additional fire
coordination centers in Russia.
Fire
Equipment
Late in calendar year 2002, an agreement was
signed between the Ministry of Natural Resources and
the World Bank to allow the Ministry to borrow funds
for fire equipment purchase. In calendar year 2000,
the US Forest Service sent a delegation to Russia to
meet with various Russian Forest Service officials to
determine equipment needs. These discussions led to
development of equipment specifications for purchase
through the World Bank loan process.
Fire
Workshop
The US Forest Service, in cooperation with World Bank,
and Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), USAID and
other partners sponsored an international workshop titled
New Approaches to Forest Fire Management at an Ecoregional
Level in September, 2003 in Khabarovsk, Russia. The
objective was to bring together cooperators who have
been working in Russia on various fire initiatives in
order to share knowledge and information and to develop
initial recommendations for collaborative design, planning
and implementation of a regional framework for comprehensive
forest fire management in the Amur-Sikhote-Alin Ecoregion
(Russian Far East). The workshop drew on a broad Russian
and international pool of data, expertise, and best
practices to identify technical and policy options for
use by regional and local researchers, managers, and
decision-makers. About 50 Russian and international
professionals participated the workshop, including experts
in forest ecology/fire behavior, forest monitoring and
mapping, forest managers, federal and regional government
officials and policy-makers, and representatives of
nongovernmental organizations and international donor
agencies. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants
to recommend practical applications and specific approaches
to help fire management professionals in the field and
to plan areas for future cooperative efforts.
Additional
Activities
In July 2005, US Forest Service fielded a team to
the Russian Far East to assess the progress of ongoing
fire-related projects and provide recommendations for
continued cooperation. Plans for additional activities
are currently in development.
Partners:
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Protected Area Management
Russia has one of the most extensive protected
area networks in the world. These protected areas range
from zapovedniki, or strictly protected reserves, to
national parks, national monuments, wildlife reserves,
and various other categories of lands. Due to decreased
government funding and ongoing economic transition in
Russia, protected area managers have found it increasingly
difficult to maintain programs and personnel. They have
expressed a need for personnel training and capacity
building if their lands are to be adequately managed.
In
July of 2004, the USDA Forest in collaboration with
the Consortium for International Protected Area Management
sponsored two workshops focusing on protected area management
in Russia. The workshops were held at Ussuriski Zapovednik
in the Russian Far East and Prioksko-Terrasni Zapovednik
in the Moscow region. Approximately 10-15 protected
area directors and senior administrators were invited
to each meeting. In the Far East, nine out of 16 protected
areas (zapovedniks) were represented, while in the Moscow
region, six out of 11 protected areas (zapovedniks and
national parks) were represented. In addition to Russian
protected area managers, representatives from U.S. universities
and the US Forest Service attended the workshops.
The
workshops identified and prioritized training needs,
and sought potential ways to address these needs. Participants
recommended options for creating a protected area management
training program that would eventually become self-sustaining,
building a professional network between US and Russian
protected area professionals, and contributing to the
field of protected area conservation through shared
information and resources. Participants were also able
to use these workshops to discuss additional issues
of mutual concern
Partners:
- ·
Consortium for International Protected Area Management
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Central Siberia Sustainability Project
Despite threats to forests in Central Siberia
from insects, disease, wildfire, and overcutting, an
economic assessment conducted by Pan Atlantic Consultants
in 2000 indicates that sustainable forest management
is possible in the region. There are excellent forest
resources, knowledgeable and dedicated forestry professionals
and a demand for wood products from European and Pacific
Rim countries and China.
The
Central Siberia Sustainability Project, ongoing since
the mid-1990s, has contributed to ensuring a sustainable
future for the forests and people of Siberia. This project
has focused on many elements of sustainable forest management:
data collection and management, including Geographic
Information Systems; forest harvest methods and equipment;
reforestation and stand improvement; and, significantly,
assisting development of some of the first government-authorized
and endorsed prescribed burning in Russia.
In
terms of actual changes in on-the-ground management
resulting from this project, the prescribed burning
program has likely been the most successful. A large
number of acres have been prescribed-burned for both
hazard reduction and site preparation in a variety of
conditions. This includes prescribed burning in young,
thinned pine stands around communities to reduce the
threat of wildfire.
The
U.S. team has also assisted with other related programs
including development of forest management regulations,
restoration of insect-devastated forests, and development
and implementation of projects funded through the U.S.
Agency for International Development's Replication
of Lessons Learned (ROLL), and Forest Resources and
Technology (FOREST) programs.
The
Central Siberia Sustainability Project is developing
a sustainable resource management plan for a portion
of the Bolshaya Murta Leskhos, a site similar to a national
forest in the USA. Lesproekt, which has historically
been the organization responsible for completing forest
management plans for Leskhos' every 10 years, is working
in partnership with the Bolshaya Murta Leskhos and the
Sukachev Institute of Forest Research to complete a
sustainable resource management plan that incorporates
ecological, social and economic factors, all of which
are key to sustainability. The intent is to develop
a plan that considers all resources and can be used
as a model for planning in other parts of the Krai and
across Russia.
Reliable
inventory data are the foundation of forest planning.
Earlier forest planning efforts in the Krasnoyarsk Krai
- based primarily on inventories of commodity-related
resources - emphasized timber harvesting, with minor
consideration of other resources like wildlife, non-wood
products, water, and soils. In an agreement among the
partners, it was decided to broaden the traditional
forest commodity inventory for the Bolshaya Murta Leskhos
to include other resources such as water, wildlife and
soils. Participants in the project recognize the importance
of including other resources in order to manage for
forest sustainability - an effort that will cost more
and involve non-traditional resource specialists from
the partner organizations. The United States hopes to
assist the inventory and planning process by sharing
experiences and by hosting training exchanges for Russian
inventory and planning employees.
In
2005, US Forest Service will provide support for the
writing and publication of a book that summarizes project
results, so that information gained through project
activities can be widely available and replicated. In
addition, US Forest Service will field a team to Siberia
in the fall of 2005 to further project activities.
Partners:
- Sukachev
Institute of Forest Research, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Federal
Forest Service of Russia
- Krasnoyarsk
Krai Regional Office
- Bolshaya
Murta Leskhos
- Lesproekt
- West Siberian Forest Inventory and Planning Department
- Avialesookrana
- Arial Fire Service
- Predivinsk
Timber Enterprise or Lespromkhoz
- US
Agency for International Development
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