WWF: Investlesprom shared cleaning cuttings experience in Russia by Scandinavian methods

This isn’t a secret that forests management practice in Russia is far away from ideal one. The study and the use of the best international experience can contribute to its improvement and to switch to sustainable forestry. This was the subject of Russian-Finnish seminar “Forest sector profitability increase due to legislative measures and sustainable forestry stimulation”. The co-organizer was Finland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (FMAF).
Guests from Suomi shared their experience of forestry organization. The reports of the Finnish side were opened by Juha Oyala – FMAF, Forest department director. The main lessons got by Finnish authorities in the course of forestry and forest legislation development were summarized in Heikki Granholm’s speech, FMAF, International forest policy division director. Reino Suninen, inspector of regional forest center Pirkanmaa, told about practical aspects of forest management. The role of state stimulation of forestry for the purpose of its profitability increase was analyzed by Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) professor, Pekka Ollonqvist. The report of Ville Siekkinen, forest resources procurement manager, UPM company in Russia, was dedicated to Foreign investments involvement into the forest sector.
Russia’s representatives told about Russian experience across its Finnish colleagues’ reports. So, the report of Alexandr Panfilov, Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture of RF, told about experience of forestry regulation in our country and challenges that originate from that. Anatolii Petrov, the head of All-Russian Institute of advanced training in forestry, lightened such not simple subject as forest usage charge. And managing director, “Forest Resources” division, JVC “Investlesprom”, Fedor Grabar told about cleaning cuttings experience in Russia by Scandinavian methods.
Elena Kulikova, head of Forest program, WWF in Russia, who took part in the seminar, remarks: “In the forest sector of Russia such issues as low profitability level of loggings, forest fund deteriorating state, forest resources procurement are very urgent for the forest sector in Russia. And Scandinavian, including Finnish experience of estimation of economically sound scenarios of forest use, cuttings planning (first of all cleaning cuttings) as well as reforestation can help in solving these issues. But among others new approaches’ implementation should be supported by new legislation”.
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