CURRENT SITUATION WITH PROTECTION HCVF IN REPUBLIC OF KARELIA Karelian Nature-Protection NGO «SPOK» Russia, Republic of Karelia, Petrozavodsk Alexandr Markovsky Workshop High Conservation Value Forests (pristine forests) of the European North of Russia Approaches to Conservation and Sustainable Use April 1-3, 2009, Syktyvkar

GENERAL APPROACH To support nature values of a certain area we should protect biodiversity on different levels. 1.Large valuable forest areas of world and international concernment. 2.Less valuable forest areas of regional and local concernment. 3.Key biotopes – local patches of special value.

1. Large valuable forest areas of world and international concernment. Map of Intact Forest Landscapes (undisturbed forest territories with square more ha) was published by group of Russian NGO’s.

Also last large areas of native forest were reflected in works of Karelian Research Centre (left picture) and in more detailed map “Old-Growth Forest of High Conservation Value-2007” by NGO’s (right picture).

Example of OGF conservation with voluntary moratorium in the leasing area of “Pyaozerskiy LPH” 2. Less valuable forest areas of regional and local concernment (smaller than ha). So investigation of 2nd level areas should be continued.

3. Key biotopes. Identification and protection of key biotopes can be done in forestry.

Forest use can be combined with biodiversity conservation. How we can organize it? To exclude most valuable objects from exploitation To adopt forestry practice to pay more attention to forest dynamic and biodiversity conservation

To exclude most valuable objects from exploitation

Protected area in Karelia. 216 nature reserves ,6 th. ha (5,6 % from total area of Karelia). 133 of them have regulations which allow any cuttings (1,9 % from total area of Karelia) Karelian Master-Plan consist 60 planning nature reserves. Total area (without water surface) is about 1600 th. ha (9 % from forestry area of Karelia). Almost all OGF are included in planned nature reserves.

To adopt forestry practice to pay more attention to forest dynamic and biodiversity conservation

Example of protection Key biotops in forestry in North- West Russia.

The inside instruction for enterprises define how protection biodiversity in forestry should be managed.

The Field manual book includes 13 key habitats which potentially consist highest level of forests biodiversity

A key biotopes are funded in identifying of logging plots areas.

The Field manual book includes descriptions of key habitats, their photos and recommendation of protection.

STEP 1. There are needs to go via all planning logging plot and identify key habitats, bases on Field manual book. (Type 1. Coniferous forests in wet depression) Bryoria fremontii – lichen from Russian Red data book

STEP 2. Mark in nature certain key habitats borders

The results – protected biodiversity in forestry!

The experience of Karelian field manual book are spread in other forest regions of NW-Russia (SPOK) (Arkhangelsk WWF)

Different reason for protection biodiversity in forestry in NW- Russia Federal law about nature reserves predict biodiversity and wildness area protection; New Forest code says that forest law should provide sustainable forestry and biodiversity conservation; New Logging rules predict to protect biodiversity during logging operations; FSC requests are corresponded with Russian federal law and ratified international conventions (for example Convention on Biological Diversity).

Example of protection HCVF in forestry in North-West Russia.

Overlapping between planned nature reserves and HCVF New “Master plan…” include: 250 th. ha (1,4 % from total area of Karelia) – are protected on a voluntary basis by forest companies; 660 th. ha (3.7 % from total area of Karelia) – are not protected

Almost all big forest industry enterprises of Karelia voluntarily protect OGF in their leasing area. They are: Ledmozersky LZH Karellesprom holding company Segezha PPM (Investlesprom) Swedwood Karelia (IKEA) Ladenso (Stora Enso) Pyaozersky LPH Muezersky LPH (Investlesprom) etc.

So in Karelia by summer 2008 forest companies agreed to protect voluntarily all intact forest landscapes with area more ha

The Karelia authorities nowadays recognize the value of OGF and the need of their protection "Karelian Forest Committee (Goskomles) considers that social, ecological and spiritual value of old- growth forests is much more valuable than price of wood and industrial products than can be gained from these forests." (Karelian Forest Committee, ) "The unclearities with old-growth forests effects the process of forest certification... and the work of forest industry enterprises. Old-growth forest territories need to be pointed out and determined in related documents and in the regulations guiding forest management... Reasoned recommendations... for old-growth forests protection can be taken into account in Forest Management Plan and in forest management regulations as Especially Protected Forest Plots (osobo zashitie uchastki) " (Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Karelia), )

Biodiversity conservation experience in LadEnso (StoraEnso) leases area (South Russian Karelia)

Biodiversity conservation experience in Swedwood (IKEA) leases area (North Russian Karelia)

Science investigations which deal with protection biodiversity in forestry

Groups of investigators which deal with protection biodiversity in forestry Global forest watsh (Russia) WWF (Russian Far East) WWF (Arkhangelsk) Found “Silver Tajga” SPOK Pskov Model Forest Kirov’s Forest Certifications Centre Metsaliitto (Leningrad region) Project “Biological value forests”(Leif Andersson&Nadja Alekseeva)

Current problems with protection biodiversity in forestry practice of FSC-certified company in Karelia Large valuable forest areas of world and international concernment Valuable forest areas of regional and local concernment. Key biotopes Swedwood- Karelia Identificated and voluntary protected Internal method Investlesprom Identificated and voluntary protected Not identificatedFree of charge method and field manual book Zapkarelles Identificated and voluntary protected Not identificatedNot created Ladenso Identificated and voluntary protected Internal method

“Maslozero case”

Agreement about protection HCVF in “Maslozero case”, 2007 Planned logging plots Voluntary protected HCVF and planned PA

“Selegskoe case”

Letter from company “SLZK” (“Investlesprom”) about stop logging in HCVF in “Selegskoe case” and moved activities in other plots

Planned protected HCVF in leased area of “Investlesprom” (variant –2009, March )

Planned protected HCVF revealed with special investigation in leased area of “Investlesprom” га - 11% of leased area. Selective cutting is allowed.

Examples of non-planned protection HCVF in leased area of “Investlesprom”

HCVF with lime tree

HCVF with fern

HCVF with elm

Stone HCVF (partly)

Thank you for your attention!