Ravil Kuzyurov: “In 90% of cases, the main cause of forest fires is non-compliance with fire safety requirements in forests”
Today a briefing with participation of the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan Ravil Kuzyurov was held in the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan. The Minister spoke about the beginning of forestry operations in the Republic of Tatarstan and the Ministry’s readiness for the 2020 fire season in the forests.
“As in the past, this year reforestation in the republic will be carried out under the state program “Development of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2014-2024” and the regional project “Forests Conservation in the Republic of Tatarstan” of the federal project “Forests Conservation” of the national project “Ecology”, said Ravil Kuzyurov.
He recalled that the main goal of the regional project is to ensure the balance of forest disposal and reproduction in the ratio of 100% by 2024. To achieve this goal, 2 target indicators were established: “the ratio of reforestation and afforestation area to the area of logged and damaged forest stands, %” and “damage from forest fires, million rubles”.
In 2019, reforestation and afforestation were carried out on the area of 2,514 hectares in Tatarstan. The indicator “The ratio of the area of reforestation and afforestation to the area of logged and damaged forest stands” for the past year amounted to 67.5% (109 % of the plan).
Also in 2019, 13.6 tons of seeds of the main forest-forming species were harvested and 33.2 million pieces of standard planting material were grown, including 12 million units with a closed root system on the basis of the Forest Selection and Seed Center of the Republic of Tatarstan. Such a number of seedlings is sufficient for planting forest crops this year.
“The design value of the target indicator for 2020 is 69.8%. This year it is planned to carry out reforestation on the area of 4,785 hectares, including artificial reforestation - on the area of 2,193 hectares, afforestation - on 103 hectares, natural regeneration of forests - on 2,480 hectares, combined reforestation - on 9 hectares, - said Ravil Kuzyurov. - Thus, in comparison with the past, in 2020 the area of reforestation will be doubled in the republic”.
Currently forest crops on the area of 175 hectares were planted, digging of planting material in the basic forest nurseries in the amount of 3.5 million units was carried out, seeds for stratification with a total mass of 1.5 tons were laid in Tatarstan. “Despite the difficult sanitary and epidemiological situation and the introduced self-isolation regime in the Republic of Tatarstan, we, according to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, continue our work as an executive authority in the field of forest relations. All our institutions in the regions also work in accordance with the established procedure in compliance with all necessary security measures”, added the Head of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan.
In addition, this year protective forest plantations will be created in the republic on the area of more than 1.9 thousand hectares. It is planned to close the spring forest season until May 15 this year.
Along with carrying out forest cultural works, forestry specialists took ensuring fire safety in forests under special control, Ravil Kuzyurov emphasized. Since the beginning of 2020, 1,345 forest fires have already occurred in the country. The total area covered by the fire amounted to more than 200 thousand hectares.
Thanks to the coordinated work of specialists of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, its subordinate institutions, the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies of the Republic of Tatarstan, executive authorities of municipal districts, as well as fire-fighting measures, the Republic of Tatarstan managed to avoid emergency situations during the fire hazardous seasons from 2011 to 2019. This year, the fire-hazardous season in the forests in the republic started on April 6, and the special fire regime on April 10.
“The main cause of forest fires, and this is more than 90% of cases, is carelessness of a person, non-compliance with fire safety requirements in forests, the Minister said. - The accumulated experience has identified four critical factors for successful fight against forest fires: prevention, efficiency, availability of material and technical base and organizational work”.
In preparation for the fire hazard season, a “Comprehensive Forest Fire Extinguishing Plan for the Republic of Tatarstan” was developed and approved for 2020, all forest fire stations of type II and III, fire concentration centers at forestry enterprises of the republic were inspected, many meetings were held with the heads of rural settlements, population, tenants, owners of land adjacent to the forest fund. As well as 1.5 thousand pieces of warnings were issued to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs on inadmissibility of violating fire safety rules in forests.
The regional project “Forests Conservation in the Republic of Tatarstan” provides for equipping subordinate institutions of the Ministry with specialized forestry, fire-fighting equipment and machinery. A total of 35 units of equipment will be purchased this year (9 ATs-3.0-40 (GAZ-33086) fire tankers, 1 small UAZ-390945 forest patrol complex, 2 high-pressure fire-fighting installations, 8 ALP-1 forest planting units, 8 KLB-1,7 cultivators and 7 PKL-70 plows). “To date, 6 fire tankers have already been handed over to forestry enterprises, which will increase the efficiency of forest protection from fires”, Ravil Kuzyurov said.
In order to detect and extinguish forest fires in the territory of the forest fund in Tatarstan, there are 18 type II fire stations at forestry enterprises and 5 type III fire stations at the State Budgetary Institution of the Republic of Tatarstan “Forest Fire Center”. The number of forest fire formations is 675 people, equipment - 342 units of various equipment. In case of emergency, an additional involvement of forces and means of fire departments and organizations with a total number of 2,822 people, as well as 512 units of machineryб is provided. In addition, it is possible to attract the forces and means of organizations engaged in and not carrying out the use of forests, numbering 2,586 people, with the equipment of 679 units of various machinery.
Currently, industry workers are carrying out a series of measures for the fire arrangement of forests, campaigning is being carried out among the population to comply with fire safety rules in forests. Space monitoring of the fire hazard, aviation (1.2 million hectares) and ground (11 thousand hectares) is underway. Also, the regional dispatch control center of the SBI of RT “Forest Fire Center” is working around the clock (tel. 8-800-100-94-00, 8 (843) 221-37-95).
Violation of fire safety rules in the forests entails the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of up to 3 thousand rubles, on officials - up to 20 thousand rubles, legal entities - up to 200 thousand rubles. If the violation was committed in conditions of a special fire-prevention regime, in this case the size of the administrative fine increases and will amount to 4 to 5 thousand rubles for citizens, from 20 to 40 thousand rubles – for officials, from 300 to 500 thousand rubles for legal entities. If a violation of fire safety rules in forests caused a forest fire and damage was caused to forests, the deed may result in criminal liability under Art. 261 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.