Results of the meeting of the Council on the Development of the Forestry Complex of the Russian Federation under the Federation Council

On November 28, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Yuri Vorobyov held a meeting of the Council on the Development of the Forestry Complex of the Russian Federation. The event was attended by senators, representatives of federal and regional authorities, the scientific community and business. The Russian Timber Association was represented at the meeting by its First Vice President Andrey Goncharov.

The main topic of the meeting was the readiness of the FGIS LK for launch throughout Russia from January 1, 2025. As Yuri Vorobyov noted, the system has already been tested in pilot regions and is actively being filled with data.

In addition, the participants discussed the results of the Council's work since its creation in 2019 and outlined plans for 2025. Among the key achievements, the adoption of the Federal Law on the Improvement of Forest Legislation, which is designed to increase the transparency of timber turnover, was noted.

Summing up the meeting, members of the Presidium of the Council for the Development of the Forest Complex of the Russian Federation emphasized that it is necessary to accelerate the implementation of the following measures:

• Improving forest lease mechanisms. According to the Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Agrarian and Food Policy and Nature Management Alexander Dvoynykh, 19.3% of forest lands are currently leased, but the mechanism for eliminating refusals for minor violations needs to be finalized.
• Development of programs for the disposal of low-grade timber and sawmill waste.
• Implementation of unmanned aerial systems for monitoring the forest complex.
• Creation of a separate program to address the problem of deciduous balances and waste accumulation.

Yuri Vorobyov noted that thanks to the measures taken, it was possible to ensure the sustainable operation of the forest complex in the context of sanctions pressure. However, further monitoring of the enforcement of standards and strengthening of measures for forest protection, reforestation, and development of the domestic market are necessary.

At the end of the event, Yuri Vorobyov noted that when preparing the final decision of the Council, it is necessary to take into account the proposals received during the discussion. The next meeting of the Council will be held in June-July next year in the Kirov Region. In particular, it will consider the issue of the forestry complex in the Volga Federal District.