The Ministry of environment has proposed to allow clear cutting near lake Baikal
The Ministry of environment has directed to the government the bill on amendments to the Federal law “On protection of lake Baikal”. The document authorizes clear cutting of burnt forests in the Central ecological zone of lake Baikal.
Amendments to the act also allow for the transfer of forest lands into industrial, if it is necessary for the maintenance of the Baikal-Amur and TRANS-Siberian mainlines. In the Ministry believe that the bill took into account all possible risks of abuse, and look forward to making it to the state Duma.
The Ministry of natural resources has completed work on amendments to the law “On protection of lake Baikal”, received the approval document from the relevant agencies and forwarded it to the government. The document allows the continuous logging of burned forests in the Central ecological zone of lake Baikal (now they are prohibited by article 11 of the Federal law № 94). Also required during the year after sanitary felling to carry out reforestation “main forest tree species”.
— More than 100 thousand hectares in Buryatia Republic is almost completely burnt forest, — explained the “Izvestia” Minister of natural resources of Russia Sergey Donskoy. — Sanitary felling is necessary because “gorel” is the source of the spread of forest pests and, in fact, the condition for the emergence and spread of lightning fires. Obviously, our task is to avoid the abuse to under the guise of “burnt wood” does not cut down healthy forests.
According to the Minister, in addition to the relevant norms of Criminal code providing for prison terms for such violations, the Forest code and regulations provide for requirements as to publicity of the actions of the authorities. To conduct such logging is possible only on the basis of acts of surveys that are mandatory are published on the websites of regional authorities for conducting public examinations. Sergey Donskoy emphasized that the bill provides for obligatory reforestation after carrying out of sanitary felling.
In the state Duma while I do not presume to comment on the document, as it has not yet been reported to the deputies, but I agree with the need to allow continuous logging of burnt forests.
They will help to save the forests from the fires that annually cause serious damage to the Baikal region: Irkutsk region, the Buryat Republic, — said the Chairman of the Committee on natural resources, property and land relations Nikolay Nikolaev. — We will carefully consider this bill. You need to consider severe control mechanisms need felling. We know many examples when under the guise of sanitary measures cut down healthy trees or free up land for development.