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First SmartWood Forestry Certification in RussiaModel Forest Certification More Than Triples Russia's Certified Forest AreaMarch 27, 2003 The SmartWood program of the Rainforest Alliance announced today that Priluzje Leskhoz has been granted Forest Management certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) system. This is the first SmartWood forestry certification in Russia. Priluzje Leskhoz, located in the Komi Republic in Russia, comprises an area of nearly 800,000 hectares. This certification is more than triple the area of Russia's previously FSC-certified forestland. Priluzje Leskhoz's head office is located in the capital village of Obyachevo, approximately 185 km south of Syktyvkar, the capital of the Komi Republic. The Priluzje Leskhoz is structurally divided into seven forest districts: Zanulskoje, Loemskoje, Lopjinskoje, Matjashskoje, Noshulskoje, Objachevskoje and Spasporubskoje. Since 1996, the Priluzje Leskhoz has been a "Model Forest", with the main goal being to provide a positive example of forestry, leading to sustainability and the economic development of the local communities. Priluzje Leskhoz and the Model Forest Project team jointly decided to seek FSC certification to validate the innovative approaches and practices of the Model Forest Project by being assessed against internationally recognized standards of good forest management. The certification process started in 1999 when SmartWood received a grant from John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Program on Global Security and Sustainability to carry out test certification of Priluzje Leskhoz forest management. In 1999, the test audit of Priluzje Leskhoz was carried out by a SmartWood team of experts headed by Alan Calfee, from the United States. The 1999 test audit resulted in nine preconditions and 29 conditions indicating that Priluzje Leskhoz, at that time, had major shortcomings in meeting the FSC requirements. With invaluable support from Komi Model Forest Project staff, WWF-Russia and financial support from the Swiss International Development Agency, Priluzje Leskhoz launched a program of implementing the certification requirements. After more than two years of work, SmartWood was invited by Priluzje Leskhoz to carry out a preconditions verification audit. The first preconditions audit was carried out in March 2002 by SmartWood assessors Kristjan Tõnisson, from Estonia, and Keith Moore, from Canada. The SmartWood assessment team confirmed that eight of nine original preconditions were met by the Leskhoz, and the number of conditions was reduced to 21. In October 2002, a second preconditions audit was carried out by the same SmartWood assessors, focusing specifically on the protection of soil and water during harvest operations. After careful evaluation of findings and extensive consultation with prominent local, national and international stakeholder groups, including among others: Greenpeace Russia, Biodiversity Conservation Centre in Moscow, Social and Ecological Union, Russian FSC working group and WWF International, SmartWood reached a positive certification decision in February 2003. SmartWood found that the management of the forests by Priluzje Leskhoz meets the certification standards and should be certified as well-managed with associated conditions. Forest management in Priluzje Leskhoz is based on natural mixed forests and natural regeneration. No chemicals, GMOs or exotic species are used in the course of management activities. For more information on the assessment and for a public summary of the assessment report, please contact Mr. Kristjan Tõnisson, NEPCon/SmartWood, email: kt@nepcon.dk, phone: +372 7 380 723. For more information on the SmartWood program, please look at www.smartwood.org/ or contact NEPCon, P.O.Box 520, 50002 Tartu, Estonia, phone: +372 7 380 723, fax: +372 7 380 724, email: info@nepcon.dk. For more information on Priluzje Leskhoz, please contact Mr Vassily Maximovitch Osipov, phone + 7 82133 22265, Fax: +7 82133 22779, Email: inngroup@mail.ru. Back to Forestry News: Recent SmartWood Certifications. Read more about our sustainable forestry program.
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