Background information about Pjaozero (Paajärvi) situation by Russian NGOs

Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 09:44:45

Information for the editor

Over whole after-war period, Karelia was considered by the Soviet Government as one of main regions with forest raw materials resources

Huge logging volumes, which in the 60s reached 19.2 million cu m timber yearly (compared to present approximately 8 million cu m), considerably exhausted timber reserves of Karelian forests. When determining permitted volumes of logging, not just nature protection requirements were not taken into account, but even warnings of the forest production science, which traditionally believed forest a bunch of growing stumps, were ignored ( in the same 60s 'annual allowed cutting' - maximal permitted volume of logging, not considering ecological and social demands - amounted to 14.3 million cu m annually for Karelia).

As a result, already by late 60-s, the forest fund of south and mid Karelia was substantially exhausted. Starting from this moment, logging volumes began to almost uninterruptedly decline, owing to exhaustion of most valuable forests. Large ancient taiga massifs remain just in the least accessible areas of Karelia - in the north-west, along the border with Finland, and in the south-east, along the border with Arkhangelsk region. In order to compensate for the forced decline of logging activity, in 1966 the Soviet Government decided to construct by means of Finnish construction firms Piaozersky lespromkhoz in north-west Karelia. In 1973, the first line of the lespromkhoz, equipped by then state-of-art logging equipment, was put into operation. Due to the 25 year activity of the lespromkhoz, main part of forests in north-west Karelia was cut down. Only the most difficult accessible part in the area of the Paanojarvi lake remained intact - about 30% of the original area of the lespromkhoz forest raw materials base. It's natural that inside the intact natural territory (which was also the least accessible for colonization many centuries ago) a lot of unique natural objects are preserved, including habitats of many plant and animal species, inscribed in the Russian and Karelian Red Books, areas of absolutely untouched by human activities forests, unique river, lake, wetlands and mountain ecosystems. In the degree of richness of natural biological diversity, the area multiply surpasses the adjacent areas of mid and north Karelia.

Paanajarvi National Park established in 1992 - vast areas of unique old-growth forests still threatened by clearcutting

In late 80s, group of scientists proposed to organize inside this territory a national park on the area of over 180 thousand ha. However, under the pressure, brought by representatives of timber complex, the proposed area of the park was significantly reduced, and in 1992, Paanojarvi national park was created on the area of 103 thousand ha. Vast areas of unique forests, which constitute basis of the ecological frame of the whole north-west Russia and Scandinavia, were removed from the park. Moreover, some part of the territory, located behind the barbed wire, (up to 20 km from the border with Finland), still remain a 'white spot' for specialists in the sphere of nature protection (therefore it was not included in the national park project).

In 1995, Greenpeace Russian and Biodiversity Conservation Center made up a map of remaining ancient Karelian forests

Map included not just these areas, which value was definitely confirmed, but also several areas, which were not thoroughly researched by experts yet and with a high degree of probability could appear valuable ancient taiga massifs. Value of the major part of the lands near Paanojarvi national park was not and is not doubted. In order to specify borders of the massif, which needs strict protection, environmental non-governmental organizations proposed to carry out necessary unbiased (i.e. fulfilled not only by employees of forest institutes and establishments) research. These proposals did not provoke positive response from the part of the Karelian government. Representatives of the Karelian Government afterwards repeatedly announced that opinion of non-governmental organizations was of no consequence for them and that logging of ancient taiga massifs would continue, while activities of the greens would be considered as effort to 'undermine Karelian economy from the side of western competitors'.

In 1996, Finnish ENSO joins the logging moratorium in Karelian old-growth forests

In 1996, ENSO Finnish firm, one of the main timber buyers in Karelia, announced its refusal to buy timber received from valuable ancient taiga (in accordance with the map, prepared by Greenpeace Russia and Biodiversity Conservation Center); later this moratorium was joined by several large firms which buy Russian timber. Following these actions, many unique areas got a real chance to be protected. Stopped was logging in the suburbs of Paanojarvi national park. Piaozersky lespromkhoz was forced to listen to the opinion of the environmental non-governmental organizations.

In 1998, agreements between Russian NGOs and forestry officials broken - Pjaozero Leskpromhoz building logging road into the wilderness

Regretfully, during the first half of 1998, director of lespromkhoz I.N. Fedchik not a single time attempted to bring pressure to non-governmental organizations with all kinds of menaces, appeals to the Karelian Prosecutor's Office, campaigns in the press. However ultimately he also was convinced that normal development of the territory is possible only in case that not just current financial interests are taken into account. In early June 1998, Greenpeace Russia, Biodiversity Conservation Center and Piaozersky lespromkhoz reached agreement on the inventory of forests, to be made by joint efforts in the suburbs of Paanojarvi national park in July-August 1998 for the final decision of the question of border of the area, proposed for the protection.

However, in several days before the scheduled start of the work, it was known that the Karelian governmental commission was working in Piaozersky village (as one railway worker put it, 'two vans of directors from Petrozavodsk arrived'). Resulting from the commission's work, the lespromkhoz direction refused to have any further negotiations with non-governmental organizations and resumed construction of timber-carrying road inside the valuable forest massif (including the area which is undoubtedly unique and needing protection). As we learnt from several independent sources, logged timber is supposed for deliveries to Kondopoga pulp and paper mill (as it's simply impossible to sell timber, logged in most valuable forest massifs, while breaching the laws, at ecologically oriented European markets).

As a result of such actions, expedition of Greenpeace Russia and Biodiversity Conservation Center made an independent, without participation of representatives from any Karelian organizations, survey of the territory and defined the border of the area, which according to the international and Russian ecological law should be put under protection. In order to resolve the conflict, linked to the necessity of withdrawal from exploitation of a rather big forest massif, non-governmental organizations propose to set up a competent independent committee, which will be able to prepare a strategy of actions in the current situation. But this variant definitely does not suit Karelian Government.

Present day position of Piaozersky lespromkhoz leaves much to be desired.

The material base conforms with logging technologies, which were developed in the 1960s and does not reflect even the least ecological demands, and is worn out. The quality of forest inventory works is extremely low and does not comply with the actual situation: if according to official materials, reserves of forests, which does not include areas, proposed for protection, will be enough for another 11 years of sustainable work without any problems, in reality already now there are serious problems with forest resources. Even if the lespromkhoz receives possibility to log all valuable forests on its territory, this will enable its real work for the period of at maximum 8-12 years (considering unprofitableness of the enterprise and deterioration of the logging equipment, already in 2-3 years the lespromkhoz will be able just to sell logging areas to Finnish logging enterprises, like the majority of lespromkhozs in Karelia do). And timber deliveries to Kondopoga could not guarantee stability either, as the lespromkhoz is situated on the border of the area of economically justified transportation for this enterprise. Thus, even if demands of the nature protection organizations are ignored, it's impossible to solve problems of the lespromkhoz.

The only way out of this situation is starting their own processing of logged timber (this will allow to do with small volumes of logging) and creation in Piaozersky village of enterprises, not dependent on logging activities (for example, related to fishing or tourism). Manifold economy of the village (inhabited by about 5 thousand settlers) and its independence from one, actually temporary, enterprise is the only key to its stable development in future. If the management is wisely organized, the village development and protection of unique taiga massif can be combined, if it's unwise (like what we observe now) - neither this nor that is possible.