We are
writing to you concerning the critical situation in Piaozersky lespromkhoz,
as your company is the main buyer of its timber. One of the most valuable
ancient Karelian taiga massifs is located on the lands of Piaozersky
lespromkhoz. Until now the undamaged state of this massif was secured
by your observance of the moratorium on buying timber, received from
old-growth forests. Due to your support, substantial positive changes
in the position of lespromkhoz take shape and the hope for resolving
question of the valuable massif conservation appeared. In July 1998,
Russian non-governmental organizations in association with the lespromkhoz
representatives were supposed to carry out a detailed inventory of
preserved valuable forests. Director of Piaozersky leskhoz S.L.Smirnov
was informed of the work program in good time.
However,
owing to activities of the Karelian governmental commission, in early
July Piaozersky lespromkhoz refused to have any further negotiations
with non-governmental organizations and resumed construction of timber-carrying
road inside the valuable forest massif. The Karelian Government take
every measure to prevent Piaozersky lespromkhoz, Piaozersky leskhoz
and Russian non-governmental organizations from negotiating and make
the work of non-governmental organizations near Piaozersky settlement
impossible. In the view of this, we inform you that now we don't have
real possibilities to control the origin of timber which you buy from
Piaozersky lespromkhoz, whether it is received from old-growth forests
or not. We think it quite possible that the lespromkhoz will sell
timber received from old-growth forests as timber, logged in other
areas. Therefore after the beginning of logging inside the valuable
forest massif, we'll be forced to consider any purchase of timber
from Piaozersky lespromkhoz a breach of the moratorium.
We also
want to inform you that the road laying and proposed logging in the
massif, which is located to the north from Paanajarvi national park,
is a direct violation of the acting Russian environmental laws, as
they cause destruction of habitats of species, enlisted in the Russia's
Red Data Book. We urge you to prevent your company from using timber,
received from one of the most valuable ancient taiga massifs of Karelia
with harsh breach of the Russian environmental laws.
A.Yaroshenko
Greenpeace Russia forest campaign coordinator
D Aksenov
executive director of the Biodiversity Conservation Center
V.Zacharov
direktor of the Center of coordination and information of the Socio-Ecological
Union