Forest Management In Russia Research Articles

Regional forest management in the Volga Federal District: trends and prospects

In the 21st century, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of forest resources. Every year the role of forests as the ecosystem is growing due to the settlement of the technogenic impact of domestic industry on the environment. Today, in regions where the forest is the raw material base of the forestry complex, a place of employment of the local population and a source of replenishment of the budget at various levels, it is important to conduct a comprehensive analysis of forest management in Russia and develop a strategy for socio-economic development of the use of forest resource potential to improve the well-being of the local population and ensure the ecological and economic balance of the territory on this basis. The article reveals the trends of regional nature management on the example of the Volga Federal District. It is shown that especially negative trends are manifested in the fight against forest damage and fires, protection of forests from pests and diseases, preservation of forest biodiversity, their social and ecosystem functions. The issues of changing the structure of reforestation and the resulting problems of forest management are disclosed. Measures are proposed for the effective implementation of an intensive model of forestry management

A forest management system based on sustainable development

The article substantiates the necessity of changes in the forest management system on the basis of sustainable development. The implementation of an interdisciplinary approach in the study convincingly demonstrates the increasing importance of the forest in connection with its ecological, economic and social functions at the local, national and global levels. Based on the analysis of scientific sources and official international documents approaches to the definition of the essence of sustainable (sustainable, established) forest management, balanced development of forestry, namely as: 1) harmonious combination of ecological, economic and social functions of the forest ; 2) sustainable development of forest ecosystems and the landscape as a whole; 3) integrated application of measures for the use, reproduction, formation, conservation and protection of forests, taking into account the interests of all stakeholders; 4) rational use of forest resources (capacity). The concept of forest management as a modern model of development of the forest sector of the state economy on the initiative of entrepreneurial and public entities is concretized. Forest management is considered from the perspective of the ecosystem approach. Negative trends in forest management in Russia after the beginning of large-scale administrative reform in the country are analysed. The scheme of the main stages in the development of forest policy is proposed. The scheme of the main stages of forest policy development is proposed. The results of the study can be used by scientific organizations engaged in forecasting the development of sectoral economies, forest companies in the formation of economic relations in forestry. The research can be continued in the direction of assessing the ecosystem services of forests and their inclusion in the system of economic relations.

Реформирование управления лесами в Российской империи в середине ХIХ века Первые шаги реформы (на примере Курской губернии)

Relevance. Serious transformations have been carried out in the forest law of Russia in recent decades. The State is currently testing a new concept of forest management and use of forest resources based on the priority of public law. In the history of Russia, there is an experience of evolutionary transformation of the concepts of private and public law in the field of forest legal relations. The Purpose – study the experience of the evolutionary transformation of private and public law in the field of forest management in Russia in the middle of the XIX century. Objectives. Within the framework of the article, the following tasks are solved: analysis of the legal foundations of forest management reform in the middle of the XIX century, features of the implementation of certain provisions at the first stage of the reform on the example of the Kursk province. The methodology of the research is based on the use of a dialectical approach, involving modern methods and methods of studying normative legal acts. Results. Despite the absence of any fundamental legislative act marking the beginning of the reform in the field of forest management in the European part of Russia in the middle of the XIX century, the reform was of a fundamental nature. The provisions of public law were extended to the sphere in which the norms of private law had previously dominated. Conclusion. By the middle of the XIX century, the state had good reasons to streamline and strictly regulate the use of forests, including those that were privately owned. In privately owned forests by the 50s of the XIX century, the problem of forest destruction in the European part of Russia became obvious. The state began the reform with the unprivileged estate – the peasantry. However, the reform was misunderstood not only by peasants, but also by government officials responsible for its implementation. The negative attitude of the officials of the Forestry Department of the Kursk Chamber of State Property to the transformation of the forestry management of the province led to a delay in the reform.

Prospects for Investing in Forest Climate Projects in Russia

This study examines the usefulness of forest climate projects as a vehicle for investment in the domestic carbon market. The main objective is to identify the prerequisites for establishing a Russian carbon market, which would set the stage for sustainable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The article begins by analyzing the global climate agenda in detail, highlighting the functions and significance of forest climate projects in regulated carbon markets, and describing the market dynamics for carbon units. Since 2021 the Paris Agreement’s provisions have been implemented, the EU Green Deal has been initiated, forestry and land use regulation have became part of the EU emissions trading system, and the CORSIA compensation mechanism for emissions from international air travel has been launched. The article assesses the potential for a Russian carbon market in forestry units. The Siberian regions and Far Eastern federal districts offer the greatest opportunity for carrying out forest climate projects. That opportunity depends upon improving crucial components of forest management in Russia’s state forest holdings in order to increase the carbon stock and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; this would entail reforestation of clearcut areas (with additional measures that enhance carbon storage and prevent emissions from unfavorable factors) as well as planting new forests. The article then elaborates a method for estimating and developing the carbon market potential of forestry units in Russia in order to evaluate the prospects for implementing such projects (a carbon budget). A calculator for carbon credits has been prepared for use by potential Far East investors, and services are available for them to select a forest site via online auctions and execute transactions online.

Robotic systems in forestry

The article presents review of modern robotic system technologies implemented in forestry. This study shows the importance of partly and fully automated robotechnic complexes specifically designed for forest management in Russia. The research provides characteristics of goals in forestry and their solutions based on designing technologies of robotechnic systems. The article contains the review of management methods with various partly and fully automated systems that are already used in the areas close to forestry. This study shows technological aspects of development of these systems in terms of their implementation in forest sector. The research contains review of existing models, technologies and prototypes presented abroad. Active prototypes have a detailed description and their current implementation in forest sector. The analogue systems that are used in agriculture and mining have a good potential of usage in forest sector. The provided study highlights the possibility of robotechnic systems use in terms of forest planting and fighting forest fires.

ПРЕДПРИНИМАТЕЛЬСКАЯ МОТИВАЦИЯ НА ПРИМЕРЕ ЛЕСНОГО ХОЗЯЙСТВА РОССИИ

The article presents the results of an entrepreneur survey from the standpoint of assessing the effectiveness of forest management in Russia. It has been established that more than a half of the surveyed entrepreneurs consider their forestry business to be low profitable. Entrepreneurs have significant costs for reforestation and forestry work. The reasons for the low efficiency of forestry activities are the lack of measures for motivating entrepreneurs implemented at the state level. The necessity to improve the efficiency of state forest management has been proved. A mechanism built into the forest management system is suggested to motivate forest plot tenants. The motivational mechanism is a complex of incentive and control measures aimed at ensuring the qualitative performance of forestry work with optimal production costs. The use of the motivation mechanism at the regional level enables to provide support to tenants of forest areas performing forestry activities in a quality manner. Differentiated measures of forest user motivation, based on the results of forest activities, have been substantiated. Motivation measures should include financial support, business control and penalties. The necessity to create a motivational fund for financial support of forest area tenants in the regions of Russia has been proved. The measures for the motivation of entrepreneurs, which ensure growing attractiveness of forest exploitation, have been developed

THEORETICAL BASIS OF ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF FOREST RESOURCES USE

Modern society operates in an unstable economy, regularly emerging crisis phenomena, the formation of which is facilitated not only by various financial instruments, socio-economic factors, wars, natural disasters, but also by life forms, which spread infections to living organisms, parasitizing and using foreign cells for survival. The present article considers the concepts of «economic growth» and «economic efficiency» in order to identify the theoretical basis for the effective exploitation of forests, as a natural resource whose reserves are declining. The analysis of economic models, including those authored by Nobel Prize winners, made it possible to identify fundamental problems, the implementation of which, in the context of national interests, allows, regardless of the economic structure, to maintain a stable level of economic activity using a natural resource. The economic worldview of contemporaries, the transformation of human behaviors under the influence of forced isolation measures, formalism and the short time frame for finding ideas to overcome crises, contributed to the formation of philosophically oriented theories of the emergence of crisis phenomena in the economy, as well as the lack of a deep study of methods and tools of modern models and theories. Analyzing the structure of forest management in Russia, coupled with approaches to charging for the use of the resource, the author concludes that the ideas of an economic philosophy of efficient forest management were not only developed by the beginning of the 20th century, but also experimentally tested, bringing benefits and results in the form of significant amounts of budget replenishment, subsequently directed to the development of science, technology and the improvement of social security for forestry workers.

Историография проблемы правового регулирования лесопользования в русском праве ХIХ – начала ХХ века

Relevance. Several major reforms were carried out in the forestry law of Russia in a short period of time. None of them gave a positive result. At the moment, the state has set itself the goal of developing a new concept of forest management and use of forest resources. The use of the relevant experience accumulated by domestic jurisprudence seems appropriate and even necessary. The Purpose. To study the dominant theoretical concepts in the works of Russian legal scholars of the historical period under consideration, as well as their views on the formation and development of legislation regulating forest management in Russia. Objectives: analysis of research in the field of forest law, published in the 19th - early 20th centuries; assessment of the degree of study of the problem of legal regulation of forest use. Methodology. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity. The method-ological basis of the study is a systematic approach. The comparative-historical method is used, makes it possible to investigate the available sources in close connection with the and the method of logical analysis. Results. The first scientific works in the field of Russian forest law research appeared in the first half of the 19th century. Since that time, the development of legal concepts for the use of forest resources on the basis of the principle of continuity continued until 1917, when new approaches to the state structure radically changed the direction of development of forestry law. Conclusion. During the XIX - early XX centuries. Russian science has gone from a simple description of the facts of the formation and development of legislation in the field of forest resources use to a theoretical substantiation of the state forest policy. Research of foresters and jurists of the XIX - early XX centuries. have not lost their relevance to this day and can be used to improve the legal mechanism for the rational use of forests in modern Russia.

О Концепции проекта Федерального закона «Лесной кодекс Российской Федерации»

An analysis of a numerous official documents and publications reveals a serious crisis of forest management in Russia. Forest management paradigm, defined by the Forest Code ideologues, will lead inevitably to the Russian forest fund degradation. Meanwhile, forestry is production industry in which laws of the market economy are in force. For this reason, forest management should be reconstructed in Russia. A principle of forestry revival will be impartial ecological and market economic assessment of forest resources, which would be instrumental in transition of the subsidized scheme of forest management financing to a system that would provide rational forestry and a profit. Forestry organization is the key task of forest inventory that is completed in close connection with forest economy and forest management. Specific problems of sustainable forestry organization and forest use should be solved on this basis. When State owns forests in the market economy environments, stumpage sale at prices lower than the cost for reforestation cannot be allowed. In view of this, market transition of forest use is crucial to establish payments for standing timber based on rental income. This will guarantee the financing of reforestation as well as assignments to the budget at the different levels. Chief reorganization objective of forest management in Russia is outlined as follows: ensuring economic efficiency of the forest sector; sustainable use of forest resources and reforestation; forest conservation for the next generations.

ON OF FOREST MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT IN RUSSIA

A survey of numerous official documents and publications reveals a severe crisis of forest management in Russia. Forest management paradigm, defined by the Forest Code ideologues, will lead inevitably to the Russian forest fund degradation. Meanwhile, forestry is the productive industry, which follows the market rules. For this reason, it should reconstruct forest management in Russia. A principle of forestry revival will be impartial ecological and market economic assessment of forest resources, which would be instrumental in transition of the subsidized scheme of forest management financing to a system that would provide rational forestry and a profit. In view of this, market transition of forest use is crucial to establish payments for standing timber based on rental income. This will guarantee the financing of reforestation as well as assignments to the budget at the different levels. Chief reorganization objective of forest management in Russia is outlined as follows: ensuring economic efficiency of the forest sector; sustainable use of forest resources and reforestation; forest conservation for the next generations.

ON FOREST MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT IN RUSSIA

A survey of numerous official documents and publications reveals a severe crisis of forest management in Russia. Forest management paradigm, defined by the Forest Code ideologues, will lead inevitably to the Russian forest fund degradation. Meanwhile, forestry is the productive industry, which follows the market rules. For this reason, forest management in Russia should be reconstructed. A principle of forestry revival will be impartial ecological and market economic assessment of forest resources, which would be instrumental in transition of the subsidized scheme of forest management financing to a system that would provide rational forestry and profit. In this regard, market transition of forest use is crucial to establish payments for standing timber based on rental income. This will guarantee the financing of reforestation as well as assignments to the budget at the different levels. Chief reorganization objective of forest management in Russia is outlined as follows: ensuring economic efficiency of the forest sector; sustainable use of forest resources and reforestation; forest conservation for the next generations.

Woodland and forest management in Russia

Russia has more woodland and forest than any other country in the world. The woodlands are of major national and global ecological importance, particularly since they capture carbon in the soil, in dead wood and in the trees. Wood as a sustainable raw material is also an important economic factor, and for the state, the use of wood is of particular importance. Since trees take many years to grow, the positive and negative impact of forest management only becomes evident many decades after the event.

Forest policy issues in modern Russia

The article is devoted to the study of the institutional arrangements for the development of forest-covered territories of Russia. The subject of the research is the current institutional system that regulates economic relations in forest management in Russia. The structural institutional elements of this system are the ownership of forest resources; forest certification and formation of forest payments. The purpose of the study is to assess the state of the institutional arrangements governing the forest management system and the economic relations in this institutional system; substantiation of the mechanisms for establishing effective models of forestry development. The methodology is based on the provisions of the institutional theory, sustainable development and the theory of rent. Research tools include institutional analysis, quantitative and qualitative sociological methods. The empirical footing is formed by the results of many years of comprehensive economic and sociological research of forest areas of the Republic of Karelia in 1998-2018 (public opinion polls; interviews with forest service specialists, local and regional authorities, heads of forest companies), research materials from Russian and foreign scientific schools and official websites. A descriptive analysis of the problems encountered by various forest policy stakeholders relations is offered.

Теоретические концепции многоцелевого, рационального непрерывного использования лесов в России и за рубежом

Forests take diverse part in the life of human society. To prevent their depletion and disappearance, the organization of forestry on the principle of continuous, non-depleting and multi-purpose use of forests is necessary. The article analyses the theoretical concepts of multi-purpose, rational use of forests in Russia and abroad. Special place is given to the conceptual foundations of multi-purpose, rational, continuous use of European forests. The essence of the concept and limitations for different regions of Europe is given. Based on the content analysis, it was concluded that a sustainable approach to forest management implies the use of innovative strategies for conserving biodiversity, balancing forest use for various purposes and healthy ecosystem maintenance. Analysis of the concept of sustainability of forest management in Russia and abroad, in terms of theoretical concepts, allowed us to define fundamental principles.

Сравнительный анализ экономических показателей лесного хозяйства России и Финляндии

Article is devoted to evolution of forest economics of Russia and Finland and problems of increase in effective forest management in Russia. The purpose of work consists in assessment of tendencies of development of the economic relations in forestry formed within national forest laws and the control systems corresponding to them, on the example of two countries: Russia and Finland. The object of research are the economic relations in forestry formed by national control systems and the forest legislation of the explored countries. The subject of research are economic results of administrative activity of forest management structures of Russia and Finland.The research is based on system approach to the problems determined by the work purpose with use of methods of the historical analysis, comparison, modern concepts of steady management, foreign and domestic experience of the economic relations in forestry.Novelty of a research: regularities are revealed and tendencies of development of the forest economics formed on the one hand by supply and demand on forest production and services and, on the other hand, national control systems and the forest legislation of Russia and Finland are estimated.Forest management is considered from the point of view of ecosystem approach. Ranging of degree of the importance of forest ecosystem services in Russia and Finland, proceeding from a contribution to a gross internal product of each service and assessment of the population is carried out. At assessment of efficiency of forest management the material products received from the woods are the basis.An assessment of economic efficiency of forest management in Finland, by comparison of expenses and income of forestry is given. The defining factor in formation of the economic relations in forestry of Finland - the standards of the forest right having pronounced ecological contents, traditions, customs. The regularity of development of the economic relations in forestry of Finland which consists in transition from imperative methods of management to dispositive, granting an option of methods of managing to private forest business is revealed.Negative tendencies in forest management of Russia after the beginning of large-scale administrative reform in the country are analysed. Expenses of the federal budget of the last fifteen years steadily exceed receipts from forest exploitation. In Russia imperative methods of management are based on resource approach, focused on the monetary purposes, don't consider a set of forest ecosystem services.Results of a research can be used by the scientific organizations which are engaged in forecasting of development of branch economies, the forest companies when forming the economic relations in forestry.Researches can be continued in the direction of assessment of forest ecosystem services and their inclusion in the system of the economic relations in forestry at the national and international levels.

Лидеру лесоуправления в России, профессору М.М. Орлову – 150 лет со дня рождения (1867–1932)

Лидеру лесоуправления в России, профессору М.М. Орлову – 150 лет со дня рождения (1867–1932)

О концепции современного лесоустройства в России

В статье рассматриваются основные положения лесоустройства с учетом истории его развития в России и в отдельных странах мира, в том числе в Германии, где оно первоначально зародилось. Особое внимание уделяется его функциональному назначению, содержанию, методологии стратегического планирования в рамках лесоустройства и его связи с принятым в 2014 г. Правительством РФ Федеральным законом № 172 «О стратегическом планировании в Российской Федерации». Известно, что последним Лесным кодексом РФ (2006) лесоустройство было упразднено, что негативно отразилось не только на лесоуправлении, но и на состоянии лесного сектора экономики. При этом были искажены и основные понятия, утвердившиеся ранее в лесной науке и практике. В связи с изложенным, в статье последовательно рассматриваются: вначале ключевые понятия, лежащие в основе лесоуправления и специфика его, предопределяющая истоки возникновения лесоустройства; двухуровневый характер стратегического лесоустроительного планирования; его методология; другие функции лесоустройства, включая учет лесов, оценку прошлого хозяйства; организацию и расчет непрерывного неистощительного пользования лесом (ННПЛ); экономическое обоснование лесных программ, формирующихся при лесоустройстве на уровнях субъекта РФ и входящих в него лесничеств; механизм их реализации; рекомендации по совершенствованию лесоуправления и контроль за ним. Изложенные концептуальные положения могут быть использованы при разработке новой лесоустроительной инструкции. The article examines the main provisions of forest management consider the history of its development in Russia and in certain countries, including Germany, where it originally arise. Particular attention is paid to its functional purpose, content, methodology of strategic planning within the forest inventory and its relationship with the Federal Law No. 172 «On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation» adopted in 2014 by the Government of the Russian Federation. It is known that by the last «Forest code of the Russian Federation» (2006) the forest inventory was abolished, which negatively affected not only on the forest management, but also on the state of the forestry sector of the economy. Herewith was distorted and the basic concepts established earlier in forest science and practice. In connection with the foregoing, the article consistently examines: first, the key concepts underlying the forest management and its specificity predetermining the cradle of forest management; two-level nature of strategic forest management planning; Its methodology; other functions of forest management, including forest inventory, assessment of the past forestry; organization and calculation of continuous sustainable forest management (NNPL); the economic substantiation of forest programs formed during forest management at the levels of the subject of the Russian Federation and constituent in it forestries; mechanism for their implementation; recommendations for the improvement of forest management and control over it. The outlined conceptual statements could be used in the development of a new forest management instruction.

Assessment of sustainability of forest management practices on the operational level in northwestern Russia – a case study from the Republic of Karelia

ABSTRACTThe main aim of the article is to assess the consequences of newly proposed legislative initiative on introducing intensive forest management practices in Russia. Implementation of norms and its effect on sustainable forest management practices have been analysed in this study on one enterprise operating in the Republic of Karelia. This meant modelling of forest growth, clear cuts and regeneration within 100 km radius from the mill for two alternative management scenarios with fixed demand of wood based on current norms and decreasing harvesting age to half from the current. Wood demand of the enterprise, structure and accessibility of forest resources, i.e. forest road infrastructure were taken into account in the analysis. Both forest management scenarios decreased the total growing stock significantly, and therefore considered as non-sustainable practices. In addition, forest age structure was more uneven for both scenarios at the end of the simulation period. Comparison of two alternative management practices showed that the implementation of intensive forest management in Russia requires new norms that would be based on principles of sustainable forest management.

TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT IN RUSSIA: THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL BACKGROUNDS

The paper contains a short analysis of theoretical and methodological backgrounds of transition to sustainable forest management in Russia (SFM). It is concisely considered the current state of forest management in Russia which is estimated as critical; expected impacts of climate change on the country’s forests; and theoretical and methodological prerequisites, specifics and risks of transition to SFM including 1) concept and general methodological basis of transition to SFM; 2) specifics of the required information; 3) problem of forest protection in conditions of growing risks; 4) strategic prerequisites of adaptation of forests to climate change and their use as a tool of climate change mitigation; and 5) necessity of a harmonized estimation of diversity of resources and other forest ecosystem services within the paradigm of risk resilient forest management. A crucial role of models of different complexity and destination is considered as a basic methodological tool of long-term planning of forest management actions. It is shown that there is no single strategy, which would allow reaching all goals of SFM. The scale of objects within which SFM is implemented might play a crucial role in finding the optimal decisions. Similar to many other countries, Russia is late with consideration and implementation of SFM. The paper is limited by theoretical and methodological questions and does not touch upon managerial, institutional and political problems of the up-to-date forest sector of Russia.

Forest certification in Russia: development, current state and problems

Abstract The article analyzes the development of voluntary forest certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system in Russia. The article is based on the review of diverse information sources, analysis of the reports of timber processing enterprises, personal observations during certification audits, discussions in workgroups, and information collected at training courses. We evaluated the present state of voluntary forest certification in Russia, analyzed non-compliances of the activity of Russian wood processing enterprises with the national standard FSC-STD-RUS-V6-1-2012 and indicated possible reasons for non-fulfillment of the requirements. We also presented problems in the development of forest certification in Russia and possible ways for its further development. By the end of 2015, about 40 million hectares were certified, approximately 160 certificates were issued on forest management and 440 certificates on chain of custody. The 6th principle of the national forest management standard is the most problematic for logging enterprises. The principle concerns the requirements on the evaluation of impact of enterprise’s activity on the environment. About 40% of non-compliances identified by auditors referred to the indicators of the 6th principle. We argue that the main problems of forest certification development in Russia are contradictions between the principles and the criteria of FSC and the requirements of Russian forest legislation, retention of biodiversity and high conservation value forests, lack of economic incentives for introduction and implementation of certification requirements, and high cost of audits. Despite the existing problems, the certification remains one of the most important instruments for achieving sustainable forest management in Russia.