The Russian government approved new rules for compensatory reforestation for the land of other categories
The corresponding resolution No. 897 of May 18, 2022, will enter into force on September 1 and will be valid for six years.
According to the new rules, the Federal Forestry Agency will determine the territories intended for compensatory reforestation and afforestation, based on proposals from federal, regional, and other authorized authorities.
Also, forest users will be able to carry out compensatory reforestation and afforestation on the territory of other subjects of the Russian Federation, in the absence of suitable sites on the territory of the region where they lease forest plots. Such areas with planted trees will be the objects of state monitoring of reforestation, where FBU Roslesozashchita controls the quality of reforestation work. “The new rules will create qualitatively different conditions for the fulfillment of obligations for compensatory reforestation. For example, in some subjects, there are areas for reforestation, but they are located in hard-to-reach places, the work which requires high economic costs. Or reforestation is impossible, for example, due to climatic features (permafrost). At the same time, in other subjects, there is an excess of free unforested areas on which it is possible to plant a forest. The implementation of new approaches will allow increasing forest areas in the sparsely forested regions of Russia, and forest users to fulfill their obligations to the state,” said Ivan Sovetnikov, head of Rosleskhoz.
The implementation of the mechanism of compensatory reforestation will make it possible to achieve the greatest efficiency in the implementation of the federal project “Preservation of Forests” of the national project “Ecology”.
For reference:
Following Article 63.1 of the Forest Code, persons using forests for geological exploration of the subsoil, development of mineral deposits; the construction of reservoirs, and other artificial water bodies, as well as hydraulic structures, seaports, sea terminals, river ports, moorings; for the construction of linear facilities; for the processing of wood and other forest resources, they are obliged to perform reforestation work on an area equal to the area of cut forest plantations, no later than one year after the felling. This approach is aimed at compensating for the decrease in the area covered with forests due to reforestation in other territories (compensatory reforestation) (full text of the resolution https://rosleshoz.gov.ru/doc/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BF_%E2% 84%96897_2022.05.18).
Press Service of the Federal Forestry Agency