Clumsy work: complete tree felling can be allowed on Lake Baikal
The bill, which has been widely discussed since 2022, which introduces grounds for continuous logging on Lake Baikal, has reached the final stage. The government Commission on Legislative Activity approved amendments to the second reading, which fix logging — but for reforestation, that is, when it is planned to get rid of "dead plantings" and only within a certain list of sites. This list will be coordinated with the Russian Academy of Sciences. But environmentalists have complaints about this version of the document, which has caused a wide public outcry. They fear that the proposed mechanism may disrupt the ecosystem of the lake and the entire region, as well as become a reason for the commercial use of wood.
In what cases can continuous logging be allowed?
Continuous logging in specially protected areas adjacent to Lake Baikal may be allowed for the purpose of forest reproduction if the dead plantations have lost their useful functions. Such amendments, developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, were approved by the government commission on legislative activity (the document is available to Izvestia). This was reported by sources in the Cabinet of Ministers.
Amendments have been prepared to the draft law "On Amendments to Article 25.1 of the Federal Law "On the Protection of Lake Baikal" and Article 11 of the Federal Law "On Environmental Expertise".
"The original bill provided for a number of measures dedicated to protecting the nature of Lake Baikal," Vladimir Gruzdev, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Bar Association, reminded Izvestia. — These include, for example, fixing the list of cases in which continuous logging of forest stands in specially protected areas adjacent to Lake Baikal is allowed.
In addition, the document, according to him, establishes an increased volume of measures for reforestation and compensatory planting of trees and shrubs, and also involves the formation of a Commission to ensure the protection of Lake Baikal and the socio-economic development of the Baikal natural territory.
The State Duma adopted the initiative in the first reading in July 2023. Then its authors proposed to allow the construction of roads, sewage treatment plants and other communal facilities, as well as cafes and public toilets in the immediate vicinity of the lake. This activity was supposed to be the basis for continuous logging, which removes up to 70% of the wood.
However, representatives of the environmental community actively protested against continuous logging near the lake, both in the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation and in the Presidential Council for Human Rights. Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin also called for this rule to be adjusted, as it caused many complaints. The deputies promised to finalize the controversial wording by the second reading.
The document, prepared for the second reading, permits continuous logging in the central ecological zone of the Baikal natural territory only for the reproduction of forests and for "dead forest plantations that have lost their environmental, water protection, sanitary and hygienic and other useful functions."
In addition, according to the document, the lands of the forest fund can be transferred to other categories — for the construction or reconstruction of structures that protect against the negative effects of water or dangerous geological and natural processes, as well as for the construction or repair of roads, electricity, heat and water supply facilities, sanitation. These lands can also be transferred to another category — for cemeteries.
The draft list of forest fund lands and forest areas where continuous logging is allowed will be determined by the government based on a decision of the Commission for the Protection of Lake Baikal and the Socio-economic Development of the Baikal Natural Territory. At the same time, the Russian Academy of Sciences must necessarily review this list and express its position.
The bill is expected to enter into force in March 2026.
Environmentalists are concerned
The draft law is still a matter of serious concern, experts interviewed by Izvestia noted. The proposed formulations do not suit the expert community, including representatives of specialized institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said Mikhail Kreindlin, an expert of the Earth Concerns Everyone environmental project.
— Because we are still talking about continuous logging, and this is always associated with the complete harvesting of vegetation in this area. Continuous logging for reforestation purposes can only be carried out if it is artificial. That is, it is necessary to completely uproot everything, specifically dig furrows and plant seedlings in them. All this together is categorically harmful to the Baikal ecosystem," he explained. — In this case, the ecosystem is disrupted.
At the same time, the soil, according to him, will then quickly be washed away into watercourses, which will lead to pollution of Lake Baikal, including the death of fish.
— With any continuous logging, the habitat of animals is destroyed — both small soil animals and large ones, — added Mikhail Kreindlin. — In addition, continuous logging can lead to a deterioration of the fire situation, because it will increase the accessibility of these territories to people, and most of the fires there are of human origin.
Current legislation allows for the harvesting of illiquid vegetation in forests where logging is prohibited, the inter-regional public organization Expert Council on Conservation added. But, they explained, in this case, illiquid wood should remain in the cutting area, and during continuous logging it can be exported and become the object of purchase and sale transactions.
"There are serious reasons to believe that lifting the ban on continuous sanitary logging in forests of exceptional importance for the preservation of the Baikal ecosystem will become an incentive to destroy healthy forest stands, for example, by arson, in order to subsequently declare them dead. Accordingly, the subsequent commercial use of wood," the council fears.
Most members of the Russian Academy of Sciences related to ecology consider continuous logging unacceptable, Viktor Danilov-Danilyan, head of the Institute of Water Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.
"The transfer of forest lands to other categories is also unacceptable,— he stressed. — The proposed methods of reforestation are also unacceptable, because this leads to the destruction of the ecosystem. After such reforestation, there is a completely different ecosystem that was and should have been. The forest should be left alone, and it will recover.
The issue of continuous sanitary logging on Lake Baikal remains controversial, said Konstantin Kobyakov, head of flora conservation projects at the Nature and People Foundation.
— It is assumed that the list of territories where continuous logging is possible will be coordinated by the government based on the decision of the commission, taking into account the position of the Russian Academy of Sciences. However, there is a question of how this mechanism will work in practice. Who will make these decisions and according to what regulations," he stressed.
The Russian Academy of Sciences is quite large, it has institutes and specialists with different points of view, Mikhail Kreindlin added. Therefore, without specifying specific structures whose opinion should be taken into account, it will be possible to find ways to coordinate any position, he believes.
"It will always be possible to find those who will support the right decision," he fears.
Izvestia sent a request to the Russian Academy of Sciences with a request to clarify whether this version of the amendments was coordinated with the Academy.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
