Russia

One lesson stood out from the rest at a recent trans-boundary meeting of Russian and Belarusian ecotourism businesses – they do not have to wait for someone else to start a program before they can start doing something really innovative in their own communities.

During the final stage of the national youth forest contest “Podrost” on May 18-21, 2015 in the Tver region of Russia, FLEG II experts met with the heads of youth forestries from all over the country and agreed to cooperate.

Results of projects on multiple use of natural resources in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus were observed on a seminar from 15 to 18 June 2015 in the tourist complex "Kur-Kechu" in the framework of the FLEG II, with the support from the Forestry Department of the Siberian Federal District and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Property Relations of the Republic of Altai.

Russian fashion magazine Felt Fashion recently included a wool-working master class organized by FLEG II as part of its efforts to develop an ecotourism economy in Bezhanitsy municipality in Western Russia.

At a meeting in Moscow, members of the National Programme Advisory Committee reviewed the activities implemented in Russia over the past 6 months.

At a meeting in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, FLEG II Program expert Alexey Bobrinsky took part in the meeting of the Coordinating Council for the Protection of Forests of the Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia's second largest region. The Council consists of representatives of various government agencies of different levels, including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Krasnoyarsk Krai, as well as NGOs.

94 % of Russian companies which supply timber to EU are aware of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), but 46% do not know any details about its requirements.

Local residents in forest-dependent communities in Pskovskaya Oblast and the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Program (FLEG II) have been working to develop ecotourism as a legal and sustainable alternative to illegal logging in forest-dependent communities.

KOMI REPUBLIC, RUSSIA—Yugyd Va National park staff recently created alliances with local citizens and businesses to help convert the park from a place of conflicts and contradicting economic interests to the point of sustainable, green economic development.

Participants of the round table “On the implementation of the FLEG practices in the Russian Federation” discussed the fulfillment of the commitments taken by Russia within the Europe and North Asia Ministerial Conference on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENA FLEG). In November 2015, ENA FLEG process celebrates 10 years.