The Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan clarifies the rules of compensatory reforestation
In connection with the numerous appeals of tenants of forest areas, the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan explains the rules for performing reforestation or afforestation by persons who use forests in accordance with Articles 43-46 of the Forestry Code of the Russian Federation, and persons who have applied for changing the designated purpose of the forest plot. These rules were approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 566 dated May 7, 2019.
According to this document, tenants who use forests for the purpose of geological exploration of mineral resources, exploration and mining of mineral resources for the construction and operation of reservoirs, hydraulic structures, construction, reconstruction, operation of linear facilities, as well as wood processing and other forest resources are required to perform work on reforestation or afforestation within the borders of the territory of the relevant constituent entities of the Russian Federation on the area equal to the area of deforested forest plantations. This also applies to persons who filed a petition or a statement on the change of the designated purpose of the forest plot (on an area equal to the area of such a plot), including in connection with the transfer of the lands of the forest fund to lands of other categories, with the exception of cases of transfer of the lands of the forest fund to the lands of specially protected territories and objects. Works on reforestation or afforestation are carried out on lands intended for artificial or combined reforestation or afforestation (felling, fires, wastelands, clearing, and others) as part of forest land, settlements, specially protected natural territories and should be performed no later than one year after felling of forest plantations or changing the type of permitted use of the land plot.
Persons engaged in logging of forest plantations, and persons who filed a petition or application for a change of the designated purpose of the forest plot, are obliged within 10 working days from the date of expiry of the forest declaration or from the date the information on the change of the permitted use of the land plot is entered in the register of real estate in accordance with the Federal Law “On State Registration of Real Estate” to submit to the authorized body a statement of intent to work on the forest reforestation or afforestation. The authorized body, in turn, must consider the application within 10 working days and send to the person who submitted the application a notice of approval or refusal to approve the selected land for reforestation or afforestation.
After reforestation or afforestation, persons are obliged to send to the authorized body, or to the authorized federal executive body, or to the authorized local government (depending on the category of land on which reforestation or afforestation has been carried out) within 10 working days a report on reproduction of forests and afforestation in the form approved in accordance with part 4 of article 66 of the Forest Code of the Russian Federation, for the acceptance of work on forest establishment or afforestation.
Acceptance of works is carried out in the autumn period, but no later than a year after reforestation or afforestation, the act of acceptance of works is drawn up according to its results.