Forest Resources

State administration in the field of exploitation, preservation and protection of forest land and forest reproduction in territory of the republic is carried out according to the legislation.

Primary goal of the Government of the Republic of Karelia in the field of forest exploitation is maintenance of rational continuous and effective exploitation of forest resources.

Total area of the state forest land makes 14,5 million hectares, including 9,3 million hectares of timbered area. Total yield makes 943,1 million cubic meters. Allowable cut in 2008 has made 10,5 million cubic meters, at 8,8 million cubic meters in 2007. 7,1 million cubic meters, or 67.6% of allowable cut was supplied according to felling permits.

Volume of logging on all kinds of cuttings in 2008 has made 6,3 million cubic meters. Decrease in logging volumes to the level of 2007 has occured due to reduction of harvesting of wood received at cleaning and other cutting. In 2007 1,0 million cubic meters of marketable wood received at improvement thinning and other cutting was harvested by timber enterprises of the republic, since 2008 central forest areas of the republic are not engaged in economic activities.

As of January 1, 2009 held at lease by forest users there are 9,9 million hectares of forest land sites, with annual delivery of 7,1 million cubic meters on all kinds of cuttings, that is 6,7 million cubic meters more than the level of 2007. In 2008 lease holders have harvested 5,9 million cubic meters of felling register according to felling permits in view of the vested remainder of 2007.

In 2008 cleaning cutting of saplings has made15,7 thousand hectares, that has exceeded the level of 2007 by 12%.

In 2008 there had been held 59 timber auctions to sell the right of concluding forest range purchase and sale contracts. Volume of timber sold has made 256,3 thousand cubic meters, the average timber sales price has made 217,3 rbl. for 1 cubic meter. Total cost of the timber sold has made 55,7 million rbl., budget revenue of the republic has made 38,4 million rbl.

Citizens were granted logging rights for their own needs - construction and repair of houses, construction of residential buildings and utility structures, as well as for heating purposes. The actual volume of logging by local population in 2008 has made 83,2 thousand cubic meters.

One of forestry legislation principles is organization of multi-purpose use of woods. Besides wood harvesting, opportunities of using woods for extraction of minerals, constructions and operation of linear constructions, recreational activity, hunting management are in great demand.

In 2008 there has been prepared and concluded 94 timberland lease contracts, including 20 with a view of construction and operation of linear objects, 62 - on geological studying and extraction of minerals, 2 - on constructions and operation of hydraulic engineering constructions, 10 on recreational activity.

Besides, there has been concluded 7 contracts of gratuitous limited use of timberland with government road establishments for construction and operation of linear objects.

One of the primary goals of 2008 was bringing lease contracts in accordance with the Forestry Code of the Russian Federation. 175 lease contracts was renewed on new conditions.

Important direction of forestry is restoration of forest resources. Reforestation in 2008 was executed on the area of 25,1 thousand hectares at the plan of 24,5 thousand hectares. There has been created 1166 hectares of forest cultures with improved hereditary properties. Scheduled sowing was made in nursery gardens and hothouse complexes of the Forest of Karelia state unitary enterprise of the RK.

Additional actions on reproduction of woods were held to the extent as provided: care of wood cultures on the area of 16,1 thousand hectares and addition of forest cultures on the area of 5 thousand hectares. Introduction of young plants in the category of valuable plantations of trees is performed on the area of 31,3 thousand hectares at the plan of 30,2 thousand hectares. 10,9 thousand hectares of forest cultures was transferred to the category of wooded land.

In recent years annual actual growth of creation of forest cultures was observed in the republic. Cultural work have been provided in full by standard sowing and planting materials of local origin.

Regeneration in territory of Forest Land in the Republic of Karelia target program was approved in 2008 for the period of 2008-2010 stipulating growth of volumes of forest regeneration.

During preparation for the fire-hazardous season of 2008 all the necessary organizational and technical actions have been executed. On forestry fund lands of the republic it has been registered 97 fires. The woodland area passed by fires has made 364 hectares. The average area of one forest fire, as well as in 2007, has made 3.8 hectares, that is half as much as the parameter of the fire-hazardous season of 2006.

The principal cause of forest fires annually remains careless handling of fire in the woods, 85-90% of fires are man-caused.

In cooperaction with forest holders, divisions of Forest of Karelia state unitary enterprise of the RK, Northwest Base of Aviation Forest Protection public institution of the RK aviafire services no emergency situation development in woods of the republic was admitted.

During the year measures were taken to reveal and suppress infringements of forestry legislation and for imposition of administrative and other sanctions for infringements in the sphere of forestry.

As a result of the government forest control measueres taken in 2008 there have been revealed 3906 infringements including 488 infringements of fire prevention rules, 302 infringements of sanitary rules in the forest, 2469 infringements of logging regulations, 1086 other infringements.

For damage caused to forestry in 2008 forest areas have collected 7,1 million rbl of amends. As a result of examined cuting places for revealed infringements of forestry requirements forest users were charged 72,4 million rbl.

One of most serious infringements of the forest legislation are illegal cuttings. Systematic work directed on minimization of this forest offence in the Republic of Karelia the is held. For the legislation infringement it has been instituted 123 administrative proceedings concerning legal entities and physical persons, 571 thousand rbl of administrative penalties was inflicted.

In 2008 work of the commission on performance of lease obligations by forest users on payment of rent for forest exploitation proceeded. During the year 101 session has been held. As a result of work of the commission, tenants have offset 49,6 million. rbl. of their debts on a voluntary pre-judicial basis in the federal budget, and 18,7 million. rbl. in budget of the RK. Besides, on recommendations of the commission, 32 forest holders it has been instituted administrative proceedings for infringement of terms of payment. The sum of the administrative penalties has made 212 thousand rbl. Collecting of debts is carried out on the judicial basis. Arbitration Court of the RK has to delivered judgements on 55 cases on collection of 104 million rbl. of rental debts including 2 cases with cancellation of lease contracts.