Digitalization of the forestry industry has made it possible to systematize data on Russia's forest resources

At a meeting of the Russian-Belarusian Working Group on Forestry, the practical results of digitalization and the exchange of experience in forest road design were discussed. The focus was on how digital tools are changing the approach to timber accounting, the provision of public services, and maintaining the forest registry.

Deputy Head of the Federal Forestry Agency Vyacheslav Spirenkov noted that the Russian and Belarusian timber accounting systems were integrated several years ago. This simplified the transfer of data on timber transit through Russia. Following Russia's example, Belarus plans to introduce QR codes for marking timber shipments. Since 2025, the state forest registry in Russia has been maintained at the federal level through the Federal State Information System for Forestry (FGIS LK), which has made it possible to systematize information on forest resources. This year, the adjustment and updating of forest management materials already uploaded to the system is planned for completion.

A separate area is government services. Currently, 18 services are provided in the Federal State Information System for Forest Management (FGIS LC): five federal and 13 regional. A unified standard for their provision has been introduced, eliminating the practice of requesting additional documents locally. Rosleskhoz ranks regions based on service delivery times and reasons for refusals, which has already reduced application review times and improved service quality.

Meeting participants also discussed forest road design. A law regulating their construction and operation will come into force on September 1, 2026. Forest road network planning regulations, as well as rules for their construction and maintenance, are being developed. The Belarusian side presented its experience with five-year road construction planning for each forestry enterprise, assessing the economic impact and payback period. This approach is being considered for possible application in Russia.

Attention was also paid to a unified forest management technology—its implementation will reduce the need for in-kind measurements, expand the information base for forest management materials, and gradually transition to a continuous forest inventory system. The procedure for approving forest management materials in the Federal State Information System of Forest Management was discussed separately.