NEWS

As part of the meeting in the Arsky Forest Establishment the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan Almas Nazirov presented the best timber industry workers with the awards. The Certificate of Merit of the Federal Forestry Agency was awarded to the Director of Mamadyshsky Forest Establishment Ildus Mukhametshin. The Certificates of Merit of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan were awarded to: the Chief Accountant of the Arskoye Forestry Guzaliya Zakirova, Accountant of the Arskoye Forestry Ilsiyar Shavalieva, Chief Engineer of the Arskoye Forestry Fidaris Gabdullin. The Letters of Thanks for practical assistance in organizing and holding of the IV Championship of Russia “Logger 2016” were awarded to: Rail Gumarov – Assistant Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan; Ramil Nurmuhametov – Leading Consultant of the Department of Property Management, Technical Development and Occupational Safety, Ilnur Murtazin – Lead Consultant of the Sector of Information Technologies Development.

For 9 months of 2016 the reforestation was effected by Tatarstan foresters in full, including artificial reproduction – 1596 hectares; the interplanting was arranged on the area of ​​4988 hectares.

The protective forest plantations were established on the area of ​​2193.9 hectares instead of 2169.9 hectares as planned.

In 55 basic forest nurseries the seeds were sown on the area of ​​24.86 hectares instead of planned 21.7 hectares (115% plan fulfillment).

The Tatarstan timber industry experts grew 54.7 million units (115% of plan) of planting material, including 28.4 million units of the standard one. The planting material of seeds with improved hereditary properties is grown in an amount of 4.4 million units, including 2.6 million units of the standard one. 12 million units of the ball-rooted planting stock were grown.

3869.7 kg of seeds (pine, spruce, larch, oak and other species) have been harvested. The conifer seeds are actively harvested in Arsky, Menzelinsky, Bugulminsky, and Nizhnekamsky Forest Establishments.

Thanks to fire-fighting and preventive measures no wildfires on the territory of the forest reserve of the Republic of Tatarstan have been recorded over 6 years. This year, in order to prevent wildfires the following activities have been carried out: the fire barriers and their maintenance, preventive controlled burning, fire safety roads repair, fire safety roads construction, installation and placement of display stands, landscaping of recreation areas for people in forests, and acquisition of fire-fighting equipment.

As part of forest protection from pests and diseases the activities to improve sanitation condition of plants such as clear sanitation cutting, selective sanitation cutting, clearing forest from litter have been carried out.

As part of the development of the network of regional specially protected natural reservations the Ministry has prepared a draft decree No.281 “On the announcement of natural objects of the Bugulminsky Municipal District as regional natural monuments” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan dated May 4, 2016. In the framework of the project a number of quarters of the Petrovskoye District Forestry of Bugulminskoye Forestry with a total area of ​​1248.9 hectares are announced as natural monuments “Rychkov’s Forest Steppe” and “Lipovka Stow”.

In compliance with the State Program “Environmental protection, reproduction and use of natural resources of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2014-2020” the third edition of the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan is prepared.

In the Federation Council Committee for Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management a round table “2016 Fire Season Results: Problems and Solutions” was held. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee for Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management Vladimir Lebedev. The members of the Federation Council, the State Duma deputies, representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Natural Disaster Response, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Auditing Chamber, the General Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Forestry Agency, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision, the executive bodies of the Russian constituents, the scientific and non-governmental organizations took part in the event.

The head of the State Control and Supervision Department of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan Niyaz Tazmeev gave a report on the results of fire season in the Republic of Tatarstan. He recalled that thanks to the Ministry’s preventive measures, the practical assistance provided by the Federal Forestry Agency, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan there were no fires on the territory of Tatarstan for the last 6 years. The available experience has defined four key factors of successful wildfire fighting: prevention, efficient response, availability of facilities and resources and organizational work. The Republic of Tatarstan took the I place in protection of forests among the executive authorities on delegated powers in the field of forest relations.

Total, in 2016 there were wildfires by 10.7% less than in 2015, and their total area has decreased by 15.3%. If compare with the average figures for five years, this year the number of wildfires has decreased by half, and in terms of area covered by the fire – by a third.

At the round table also the measures taken to prevent and suppress wildfires in the lands of forest reserve in 2016 fire season, the results of the work done, the distribution in 2016 of subventions from the federal budget to the Russian Federation constituents for the implementation of fire safety measures, wildfire extinction, remediation of consequences; improvement of efficiency of the forest protection against fires and monitoring of fire danger in forests and wildfires have been discussed.

The participants of the round table have discussed the problems of the regions arisen in extinguishing wildfires in 2016, proposed a number of measures to ensure the effectiveness of the prevention, detection and suppression of wildfires in the context of the increased fire danger in forests and reduction of budgetary financing.

The major problems remain unsolved. They are the anthropogenic factor as the main cause of wildfires, inadequate fire protection measures taken by institutions and tenants of forest plots, delayed detection of fires, the lack of public funding for the prevention of wildfires and their suppression. The issue of the status of the forest fireman is not solved; and this prevents to provide the forest fire brigades with the high-class specialists.

At the end of the meeting Vladimir Lebedev said that a draft recommendation would be finalized taking into account the suggestions made. On the basis of the document it is planned to elaborate a “road map” for solving wildfire fighting problems.

At the republican seminar of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan the results of financial and economic activity of subordinated institutions for 9 months of 2016 will be discussed. During the event, the training workshop on timber harvesting process, works for forest conservation, protection and reproduction, and occupational safety and health will be held. The representatives of timber industry will visit the Sunarskoye District Forestry where they get acquainted with the technology of continuous sanitary felling by logging machinery (harvester + forwarder) and the technology of tending felling using skidders MTZ-82. Baltasinskoye District Forestry, Tukayskoye District Forestry, and Leskhozskaya Secondary School under the aegis of which the school forestry unit is actively functioning are set to be visited.

On November 16, 2016 the representatives of Zeya Buylary Nature Sanctuary gave a demo lesson “Birds feeding in winter and how to make bird feeders correctly”. The experts told the children about the birds that live in the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan, what kinds of birds hibernate in their native lands, and how important to feed birds in winter. The aim of the lesson was to initiate children into the observation over hibernating birds, to form interest to cognitive and research activity, cultivate love to birds and the desire to help them in winter conditions.

Skidding is the most important operation in the process of logging to move timber from cutting area, from places of felling, to loading points or storage locations (stacking in stock). It is performed in difficult conditions, under absolute off-road, on any grounds and in the snow, overcoming numerous obstacles. Machinery used in the skidding has high tractive effort, cross-country capability, and minimum speed of movement.

Thanks to skidding, the concentration of wood in certain areas in forest roads is reached. This allows using the state-of-the-art technical aids.

Skidders are the most common machines engaged in skidding. They are mobile and maneuverable, can drive into the felling area and collect fallen trees (sticks) and move (skid) them to loading point.

The Department of Biodiversity of the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan received a call from the villagers of Arkatovo Village, Pestrechinsky District, Tatarstan. On Iinka River, near the village, a young mute swan in a weakened state was found. In response to this information the department member Yusupova R.R. and the Head of Chulpan Nature Sanctuary Gimadiev F.K. was made an on-site visit. The rescued bird was given for treatment and care to Kazan zoological and botanic garden where it will reside together with other young swans rescued earlier from the pond in Boriskovo Village.

Mute swan is a rare species for our republic; it is listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Tatarstan and is subject to special protection.

The employees of Baltasinsky Nature Sanctuary gave an environmental lesson in the school of V.Shuban Village and in Malo-Lyzinskaya Secondary School. The lesson was devoted to the Year of Water Protection Zones. During the lesson, the experts told the children about water protection zones, the importance of water in human life, careful attitude to water, as well as of the municipal solid waste, its classification and methods of its disposal. The aim of the lesson was to attract the attention of children and teachers to the problems related to the solid waste. At the end of the environmental lesson the experts of nature sanctuary presented the children a book called “Wildlife habitats”.

Winter is a difficult season for birds and animals. The employees of Zeya Buylary Nature Sanctuary have started to make bird feeders and salt licks for birds and animals.

Salt licks satisfy the needs of wild animals in vital minerals. There are few natural salt licks and they are not always there where they are needed, that is why it is important to arrange artificial salt licks. All ungulate animals that annually shed their antlers need a significant amount of mineral salts for regeneration of antlers and strengthening of bone tissues; as of does, the salt in the diet is extremely important during calf bearing and lactation.

Wild boars, hares and some birds drop in at salt licks. As of today, the experts of Zeya Buylary Nature Sanctuary have made and placed 10 salt licks, 2 feeders for animals and 3 bird feeders.

The Republic of Tatarstan is one of the leading Russian regions in terms of oil production. Today, the construction and functioning of linear facilities in the forest reserve is currently central. In order to give parcels of forest land for the construction and functioning of linear facilities such large industrial companies as Tatneft, RITEK, Setevaya Company, Gazprom, make lease contracts as appropriate. The landlord of forest land parcels in the Republic of Tatarstan is the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan. Currently, under the leases contracts more than 800 hectares were given for the construction and functioning of linear facilities, more than 250 hectares were given under the rights to use.