Deputy Governor of Pskov Oblast A. Kotov

On March 25^th, the Pskov Model Forest Project organized a presentation of its findings and practical outcomes for forest administrators, businessmen, forest specialists and journalists. The presentation took place in the headquarters of the Administration of Pskov Oblast.

The presentation program included an overview of project work in 2000–2004, which resulted in developing a model of sustainable and more intensive forest management. Scientific director of the Project Boris Romanyk explained advantages of the new model, which aims to resolve many problems the forest sector is currently facing. Deputy Governor of Pskov Oblast A.Kotov pointed out that the project addresses topical issues and its results speak for themselves: STF-Strug, a forest company where the new model was first applied, received an FSC forest management certificate, thus its economically viable and environmentally responsible forest practices were confirmed by independent international auditors. A.Kotov confirmed that the Administration of Pskov Oblast will continue to support project activities on disseminating the new approach on the territory of the region.

Mikhail Astafurov, deputy head of the regional representative body of the Federal Forestry Agency, admitted that in the beginning it took a while for forest administrators to recognize that radical transformations in the forest sector are among urgent demands of the times. However, intensive work of the Pskov Model Forest and concrete examples of advantages of the new approach vividly illustrated on the project’s demonstration plots provided convincing evidence in favor of the new forest management model. According to M.Astafurov, the project’s work should be now focused on developing normative documents and their official approval, so that project experience could be replicated to broader territories.

The Pskov Model Forest leader E.Chernenkova informed the audience of the project plans for the second phase scheduled for 2005–2008. Also presented were two new brochures published within the framework of the project. One of the brochurs contains practical recommendations on conducting thinning operations in the forest, and the second discusses issues relating to the history of forestry in Russia.