A conservation agreement of the unique old-growth forests between the rivers of the Northern Dvina and Pinega in Arkhangelsk region, Russia, was signed as a result of negotiations between environmental organizations and local forest leaser.
Taiga in Dvina-Pinega watershed, Arkhangelsk, Russia (Photo: Artem Stolpovsky)
Forest areas in Boretsky-Konetsgorsky, leased by the company “Solombalales”, occupy the largest share of the projected landscape nature reserve (zakaznik) between the Dvina and Pinega rivers.
“Establishing this conservation area is the number one priority for the Arkhangelsk region. Such a large intact forest area, where wildlife is preserved in its natural state, has no parallels in Europe. Thus, environmental non-governmental organizations and scientific institutions are paying large attention to this valuable old-growth forest”, says Denis Dobrynin, project coordinator in the Arkhangelsk office of WWF Barents Sea department.
For several years, by the initiative of WWF, ecologists have carefully studied these forests and proved their undeniable ecological value. At the same time, practically the entire territory is leased for timber companies and continues to be rapidly cut down.
After long and difficult negotiations between environmental organizations (WWF Russia, Greenpeace Russia, NGO Transparent World etc.) and the leaser “Solombalales”, the agreement was signed on conserving a part of the old-growth forest. This conservation agreement gives more time to establish the protected area.
Saving entirely the unique forest would be difficult, because the villages are largely dependent on the forestry enterprises. Still, conserving the most valuable parts of the central watershed is necessary.
The leaser “Solombalales” made an important decision not to harvest a part of the leased area to meet the certification requirements. The agreement was signed for 5-year period, but the company agrees that future forestry activities in the framework of the certification are possible only by lengthening the moratorium agreement. “Now we hope that the government of the Arkhangelsk region will also make constructive solutions to establish a protected area on time”, says the head of Arkhangelsk office of WWF Barents Sea department Andrey Schegolev.
Read more: WWF Russia press release