Home » Home » Publications » FSC in Russia - ten years against State forest management.

In March 2000 was issued first FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
certificate for Russian forest industrial company.During ten years in Russia has been issued more
than 200 such certificates, but the majority of forest experts still
do not understand the "Mexican testimonials'.

Russian forestry - it is tens of forest institutions, hundreds of government organizations, expeditions, tens of thousands of logging and wood-processing enterprises and more than two centuries of development of state forest management. And over the past ten years, in additional it has hundreds of publications on certification. Unfortunately, the publications are similar concerning style of suppression of important nuances for forestry . Meanwhile, in the forest certification (judging by the media) involved the first persons of Russian forestry, who support it against Russian law.

But there are three important aspects which the activists of the FSC system, and their partnering "independent" media bypass in Russia.

The first aspect : Any certification system has always explains the two main things - the object and the subject of certification. If the subject is almost always is clear (applicant - companies, organizations ...), but the object may be manipulated. But the object of certification identifies those requirements that are checked by the auditors during certification, i. e. requirements to be met by an object, because in all 200 certificates (and nothing else!) indicated , "What they say this is the object tested and it conforms that meets to standard". Depending on the type of certification object and is built the whole system of relationships (policies, standards, procedures). FSC system was developed and registered for certification of forest management, which some owner (renter) of the forest has the right to adopt and change at their discretion. Therefore, this system was spread among private forest owners. But according to Russian legislation, Russian forest management is implemented, developed and controlled by State, as well as the are all State forests in Russia. All people and legal entities may receive the sites of the forest only on lease, and only to certain types of use. This procedure was subscribed in Russian Forest Code. FSC certified companies in Russia can take the forest sites for logging for 10, 25, 49 years. And of the ten principles and over hundred criteria of FSC standards, at least six are impossible for enterprises, because it (the company) does not have full access rights (according to Russian laws) to change and the introduction of many forest management procedures. These are major declared by FSC principles of forest management such as planning, monitoring, diversification, control of cut off lands, reforestation, definition and protection of valuable forests (HCVF). Certainly, the company's management has the right to develop, write, and show this recorded texts to a foreign auditor, but to implement everything in forest management, NO. Even the technology of harvesting, the same must be approved by the state forest services. As they say: "God for God, and Caesar for Caesar". And all the procedures are regulated by law (Russian Forest Code, Article 81." The authorities of the government of the Russian Federation in the field of forest relations ").

Second aspect: This is sustainable forest management, which allegedly FSC-certified enterprises provide in Russia. The first FSC standards of auditing companies included an important criterion. In order to ensure sustainable management of forests, the owner shall have the right of lease (forest and land) for a period of not less than one rotation period, i. e. be able to save the forest ecosystem for future generations. Rotation is the period of tree growth prior to its maturity (about 100 years). The lessee, who has taken part of the forest for 5, 10, 25 years is not able to provide its sustainable for a longer period. But the majority of FSC-certified forests in Russia have ‘long-term' leases for such a short time. But later, in Russia this criterion was began to terminate in order to FSC certification can be developed. Now, somebody can take a forest site for logging on for ten years, can received FSC certificate for "sustainable forest management", cut down and went to another place to cut and manage ‘sustainable'. That is why State keeps the right of the sustainable forest management, rather than the tenants, which "swing» by FSC certificates.

Third aspect: This is division of forests for their intended purpose. Perhaps this is the most important issue for FSC developers, so-called high conservation value forests (HCVF). By the way, lobbying for this question in Russia, virtually all foreign NGOs in the past ten years, it is clear that it persecuted not only to the protection of Russian forests, but also to restrict the trade of Russian timber on World markets. Details about this affair with high conservation value forests, has been already reported in the media ("A fashionable terms , what stands behind them," Russian Forest Newspaper, # 37 , 2004) Third aspect: This is division of forests for their intended purpose. Perhaps this is the most important issue for FSC developers, so-called high conservation value forests (HCVF). By the way, lobbying for this question in Russia, virtually all foreign NGOs in the past ten years, it is clear that it persecuted not only to the protection of Russian forests, but also to restrict the trade of Russian timber on World markets. Details about this affair with high conservation value forests, has been already reported in the media ("A fashionable terms , what stands behind them," Russian Forest Newspaper, # 37 , 2004). The uniqueness and dignity of Russian forest management is that during its 200-years forestry development, this topic was studied and implemented for at least hundred years. At the present time, the topic is developed by dozens Russian forest institutions, regional expeditions and forest management enterprises. In this issue has always been involved thousands of first-class forest specialists from Russia. The result of this work in Russia was the formation and adjustment of the functional division of forests into groups and practical implementation of this division to management, which decides which ones to cut and what does not. The volume of protective forests in Russia (formerly the first group of forests) are more than 22%. This level of state protection of forests in no country in the World. And the reforms in the forestry sector is not fundamentally changed this relationship (protective forests). These forests are not used for logging. Nevertheless, for the "performance» FSC standards, auditors try to look something more, contrary to Russian law. And they often found it, forcing the foresters to violate the law in order to obtain this certificate. But the law clearly says: "The assignment of forests to valuable forests and the provision of specially protected areas of forests, and establishment of their boundaries are carried out by public authorities" (Forest Code, Section 102. Protective forests and especially protected areas of forests).

It is clear absolutely, that well-publicized FSC certification system has the real basis for the implementation in Russia only if the subject of certification will be State, which can fulfill FSC Principles and Criteria. However, to issue one FSC certificate for 800 million hectares of Russian forests is unlikely solution for FSC - family. Meanwhile, FSC certificates which were issued for the majority of Russian forests are though legal as activities of auditors, but totally fictitious, as documents of compliance with FSC standards.

Theme of forest certification is not so harmless as many people think. The main problem - it is a conflict of interest between the forest managers who are willing to pay for additional certificates, in order to sell more better wood products and State-controlled of forest law enforcement. It is known that Russian forest legislation (which contains the normative acts, more than 700 pages) has not been canceled. The Regional State Forest Services well known that the fundamental difference between the FSC certified forest companies and other (non-certified) is not exist. And foremost, the development of such discrimination should worry Chamber of Commerce and Federal Antimonopoly Services (FAS) of Russia.

But the problem is not only in the contradiction between the public management and FSC certification. Many of the regional representatives of the forest sector is not interested prestige of Russia as forest country in World with the power forest management more than two hundred years of experience in the formation of sustainable forest management. For example, some developing countries can transfer the forest management (outsourcing) to auditing company in order to have some kind of the timber trade. This State does not have a developing system of forest management practice. But Russia has created a complex and effective system of forest management. If, indeed, the Federal Forest Service of Russia is not able to manage more and requires the assignment of this function, then it would be wise to publicly announce it, signing a contract with the auditor, such as Ecuador or Gunn.

Another problem for Russia lies in its security ("Who owns the information, he owns the World"). Every FSC audit is a collection of information (most commercial) about forest company and transfer it to abroad. Ten years ago, the auditors had two standard for FSC certification in order to control loggers and sellers of products. At the present time, there are five standards for monitoring and auditing. Certification for suppliers of raw materials for processing (Controlled wood.) was supplemented. It increased the amount of information about Russian forestry at least two times. Now, about 200 companies (holders of certificates), which have about 25 million hectares of forests, mainly export-oriented and part of 1500 loggers (suppliers of certified timber companies) are inspected. This is a significant figure, but apparently still insufficient for control the Russian timber trade from a foreign computer. If look closely, who mainly inspects the Russian forest management in the regions, it is easy to see that among 20 auditing firms from different countries which have FSC accreditation in Russia, mainly working as an auditor of the U.S. (Rainforest Allliance), about 40% of all FSC certificates were
issued in Russia.
As for the ordinary Russian participants of the successful foreign business project (FSC certification), we should respect their aspiration to understand the science of management and interpretation of international standards. They can celebrate the anniversary of his self-training in communicating with foreign auditors, but not the introduce a new system of sustainable forest management. Perhaps someone and create how to attach "fifth wheel" to the foreign system of forest management. Foreign marketers are very professionally (ozone holes, the swine flu ...) and almost always "break off" their money on the incompetence of others. And bring them to court for fraud is impossible, because the basis for promotion is the simple formula: "Ignorance - is Power "(George Orwell)

Alexander Yakovlev ,
"LesTest"