President of the Republic of Tatarstan: “We should find business that uses wood of the Republic”

During today’s final meeting of the board of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov ordered to pay attention to creation of new wood processing industries that will allow to increase the volumes of wood prepared in Tatarstan. Head of the Department of Forestry for the Volga Federal District Alexander Ornatsky, members of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, and fellow workers of forest industry of Tatarstan also participated in the work of the board.

Before the meeting of the board, Rustam Minnikhanov and Director General of “Kastamonu Integrated Wood Industry” LLC, Onur Guven, discussed the matters regarding implementation of the project on construction of a wood processing plant at the special economic zone “Alabuga”. According to О. Guven, installation of equipment has almost been finished in the workshops where MDF-boards will be manufactured, and production will be started in 2014. It is planned to put the line on production of chip boards into operation next year, and construction of the line on production of oriented strand boards will be the third stage of the project to be put into operation in 2016.

The Minister Nail Magdeev gave the main report on the results of work of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan. He informed that total area of forests in the Republic amounts to 1.271 mln ha, including 683 thousand ha of commercial forests, and 554 thousand ha of protection forests. Forest coverage in Tatarstan amounts to 17.5%, and the greatest share of forests is found in Nurlat district making up more than 40%. The average age of forest vegetation in Tatarstan is 46 years.

Nature Reserve Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan consists of 168 specially protected nature territories of all levels with total area of 165.5 thousand ha, including 163 specially protected territories of regional importance with total area of 125.4 thousand ha: 26 state nature reserves and 137 natural monuments.

Nail Magdeev acknowledged with satisfaction that owing to the taken measures, no forest fires were allowed on the territory of Tatarstan in the last three years. At the same time, the most burning problem lies in drying up of forest vegetation and heat-related forest diseases. Aerochemical treatment of the foci of infections and other events are presupposed in order to control such diseases.

In 2013, more than 70 mln pieces of planting material were grown in 55 forest tree nurseries. Such an amount is sufficient for creation of forestry crops in the forest fund and protection forests in 2014.

The Minister of Forestry informed that Tatarstan is in need of 170 thousand ha of protection forests, while at this moment their area amounts only to 100 thousand ha. In 2013, protection forest vegetation was planted on 2,228 ha, and in the last 10 years, protection forests have been grown on 20 thousand ha.

In 2013, forests were cut on the area of 18.1 thousand ha in subordinate institutions of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan. Total stock of wood amounted to 558.5 thousand cubic meters, and 401.5 thousand cubic meters of liquid wood were prepared.

In 2013, the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan created 125 new landscaped green parking lots along motorways. In 2014, it is planned to equip 130 more parking lots. Moreover, Nail Magdeev informed on the results of work of the Ministry on restoration of monuments of wooden architecture in Kazan.

In the course of the board meeting, Head of the Department of Forestry for the Volga Federal District Alexander Ornatsky also made a speech. He informed on the state of forests in the Volga Federal District, on federal projects in the field of forest industry. On behalf of the Federal Agency of Forestry, Alexander Ornatsky thanked the government of Tatarstan for active work on conservation and development of forests.

Summarizing the results of the board meeting, the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov acknowledged hard work of foresters of the Republic and urged to expand the experience gained in various spheres of forest management.

He acknowledged that at present the Republic uses only about a quarter of the annual timber cutting fund amounting to 2.2 mln cubic meters. “We should find business where this wood will be used so that it doesn’t go for nothing, emphasized the President of Tatarstan. “Kastamonu Entegre” plant will become the largest consumer of the Tatar forest, but it is necessary to conduct work on equipment of forestries with necessary machines to ensure sufficient volumes of cut and prepared wood.

“Small and medium businesses can show their worth in wood processing, owing, above all else, to the mechanism of leasing-grants, assured Rustam Minnikhanov.

According to the President of Tatarstan, quality nurseries are required for efficient forest restoration. The most modern seed center, created in Saby district, is the best in the country, according to Rustam Minnikhanov, and 12 mln of planting stocks produced by it per year should be used intelligently.

The President of the Republic ordered to viciously suppress illegal infringements on the forest fund near cities and residential settlements. “Undoubtedly, many land plots are attractive, but if we fail to protect forest, there will be no forest around cities, Rustam Minnikhanov expressed confidence.

“Three years without fires is a great achievement for us. And we should support this tendency”, said the President of Tatarstan, speaking of fire safety of the forest fund.

He ordered to activate work on creation of snow arresting forest vegetation along motorways, since this efficient measure considerably reduces the cost of their maintenance.

As for the field of staff training, the Ministry of Forestry should develop Lubyansky forest college. According to the President of Tatarstan, the college should become the foundation of professional vocation of foresters, and its status should be upgraded by equipping it with the most advanced material and technical basis.

At the end of his speech, Rustam Minnikhanov thanked the workers of forest industry of Tatarstan for their work, wished success in 2014 and presented some awards.