ENPI FELG Regional Newsletter (Summer 2014)

T h i s p u b l i c a t i o n h a s b e e n p r o d u c e d w i t h t h e a s s i s t a n c e o f t h e E u r o p e a n U n i o n . T h e c o n t e n t , f i n d i n g s , i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s , a n d c o n c l u s i o n s o f t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n a r e t h e s o l e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f t h e F L E G I I ( E N P I E a s t ) P r o g r a m Te a m ( w w w. e n p i - f l e g . o r g ) a n d c a n i n n o w a y b e t a k e n t o r e f l e c t t h e v i e w s o f t h e E u r o p e a n U n i o n . T h e v i e w s e x p r e s s e d d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t t h o s e o f t h e I m p l e m e n t i n g O r g a n i z a t i o n s .

Regional Bulletin

Summer 2014

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T h e P r o g r a m i s f u n d e d b y t h e E u r o p e a n U n i o n a n d i m p l e m e n t e d b y t h e Wo r l d B a n k i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h W W F a n d I U C N

E U R O P E A N N E I G H B O R H O O D A N D PA R T N E R S H I P I N S T R U M E N T E A S T C O U N T R I E S F O R E S T L AW E N F O R C E M E N T A N D G O V E R N A N C E I I P R O G R A M

This regional bulletin is the first in a series that will be produced on a regular basis as an output of the second phase of the ENPI (European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument) East Countries1 FLEG (Forest Law Enforcement and Governance) Program. The regional bulletins will describe recent events and activities being undertaken by the Program internationally, regionally and within the participating countries, with

activities will have on improving forest governance.

The ENPI Forest Law Enforcement and Gov-ernance II (FLEG II) Program (2012-2016,

-ernance, sustainable forest management and forest protection in the ENPI East region.

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Introduction

E U R O P E A N N E I G H B O R H O O D A N D P A R T N E R S H I P I N S T R U M E N T E A S T C O U N T R I E S F O R E S T L A W E N F O R C E M E N T A N D G O V E R N A N C E I I P R O G R A M

T h e P r o g r a m i s f u n d e d b y t h e E u r o p e a n U n i o n a n d i m p l e m e n t e d b y t h e W o r l d B a n k i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h W W F a n d I U C N

1 The ENPI East Countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine

pating countries to: the implementation of

St. Petersburg FLEG Ministerial Declaration and up-scaling of successes of the ENPI East FLEG I project.

and implement sustainableforest policies, including legal and administrative reforms for sustainable forest management and protection increase capacity.

the best sustainablemanagement practices in targeted areas, for further replication.

For more information about the Program please visitwww.enpi-fleg.orgTwitter: https://twitter.com/enpifleg For enquiries: [email protected]

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federal and regional governments, forest users, and scientific, educational and com-munity organizations.The round table produced a series of rec -ommendations for Rosleskhoz, bodies of state, and executive authorities of the Rus-sian Federation:1. ensure the implementation of the results

of FLEG II, contributing to improving for-est management in the implementation of the State policy guidelines;

2. use FLEG II Program guidelines to im-prove the protection of eco-systems, to combat illegal use of forests, to better prevent forest fires, and to improve forest management (implementing the

“Forest Fire Prevention and Control in the Russian Forest Management System” project);

3. establish and encourage training modules for FLEG II developed state forest man-agement;

4. use FLEG II Program recommendations to ensure the rights of citizens and public organizations to timely and reliable infor-mation on forest conditions, the results of forest administration, and participation in decision-making;

5. regularly exercise exchanges of experi -ences that can improve forest manage-

MOSCOW, APRIL 3, 2014 – a round table entitled “Improving governance and law enforcement in the implementation of major forest operations and forest resources in the FLEG II (ENPI East) Program” was held as a part of the Arkhangelsk International Forestry Forum. In the interest of interna-tional collaboration, Program participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Moldova shared their experiences with their Russian counterparts, focusing on FLEG II’s contribution to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources’ documented principles,

“State policy guidelines on the use, protec-tion, conservation, and reproduction of for-ests of the Russian Federation until 2030”.The meeting explored improvements to the legal regulation of forest and law en-forcement practice, improvements to forest management, curriculum development, and public involvement in sustainable forest management. The shared experiences of-fered by the members present included implementing these principles in practice, improving wood harvesting and processing, reforestation, and protection from fires and illegal logging.In presenting the current experiences and results of the Program, it was seen that the main directions of FLEG II correspond effectively to the goals and objectives of the State policy guidelines laid out by the Min-istry of Natural Resources. These goals are also in line with the results of the Russian Program activities of FLEG I and II, achieved through interaction and dialogue with the

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International experiences from FLEG II guides improvements in forestry governance and management at the Forestry Forum in Arkhangelsk

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ment and enforcement across the Russian Federation, through publications, sem-inars, websites, and the training of ex-perts in this field.

The meeting, organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry of the Ark-hangelsk Region and the World Bank, with the support of the Federal Forestry Agency (Rosleskhoz), was attended by representa-tives of the Russian Federation State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Environ-ment and Ecology, federal executive bodies, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, bodies of execu-tive power in the field of forest relations of the Russian Federation, World Bank experts, representatives of the participants of the

FLEG II (ENPI East) Program, non-govern-mental organizations, research and educa-tional institutions, timber companies and other stakeholders.

Promoting legal and sustainableChina–Russia Timber Trade

FLEG II (ENPI East) Presented Alongside Recommendations for International Workshop on Promoting Legal and Sustainable China-Russia Timber Trade.

ON 20 AND 21 FEBRUARY 2014 IN SUIFENHE

CITY, the largest overland trading post between China and the Russian Far East, an International Workshop was held to explore ways of enhancing the sustainability and legality of the timber trade between China and Russia. Russia was China’s largest supplier of logs and second largest supplier of sawn timber. In 2012, China imported 11 million m3 of logs and 6 million m3 of sawn timber from Russia.Ideas were shared at the workshop on information exchange, policy dialogue promotion and practical solutions were explored on how to improve Sino- Russian timber trade’s legality and sustainability. The FLEG II (ENPI East) Program was represented by Andrew Mitchell, the World Bank, Senior Forestry Specialist and Team Leader. He presented the activities and lessons from the first stage of the Program FLEG I (2008-2012), implemented in seven countries including Russia, and explained the objectives of the second phase FLEG II (2013-2016). These are to support the strengthening of forest governance through implementing relevant international pro-cesses, to enhance forest policy, legislation and institutions, and to develop, test and evaluate sustainable forest management

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models locally. FLEG II is making rec-ommendations on how to improve forest governance and law enforcement with a focus on preventing forest fires and re-habilitating dying forest regions, forest fire suppression and prevention in select eco-systems and enhanced forest management in select pilot regions.Other participants included Governments of the Russian Federation, China, and the United States, representatives the European Forest Institute, WWF, the business community, non-governmental and international non-profit organizations. Highlights of all the Presen-tations made can be found on the FLEG II website at http://www.enpi-fleg.org/news/fleg-ii-enpi-east-presented-alongside-recom-mendations-for-international-workshop.Output suggestions were made at the end of the Conference for all the specific parties involved, Governments, Interna-tional Organisations, NGOs, Industry and Research Institutes. Many of the activities already successfully initiated under FLEG I and those which are being addressed by the FLEG II Program, were included in these recommendations, such as developing legislation against illegal logging and its associated trade; including the necessary monitoring mechanisms; supporting the implementation of forest certification and targeting and specific measures to solve fundamental social and economic problems, in areas where illegal logging has been the only way for poor people to earn a living. Next steps to take were also elaborated. The detailed next steps, the summaries of all the sessions and the recommendations can be found in the Report on the Inter-national Workshop on Promoting Legal and Sustainable China - Russia Timber Trade at http://www.forest-trends.org/documents/files/doc_4252.pdf.

During the «VIII INEPO Eurasia Environmen-tal International Olympiad», recently, con-ducted in Baku, the Young Foresters from Secondary School number3 of the Gakh region won the gold medals.A Young Forests Round Table took place on April 23, 2014 in the Shamakha region of Azerbaijan. Meetings are also planned to be held in the Guba, As-Tara, Shaki and Gakh Regions.The Young Foresters Movement of Azer-baijan is a joint initiative of the FLEG II Program and the Republican Center on Ecological Education and Practice, under the Ministry of Education. It is the main tool to attract youth to the forest protection realm and increase professional interest towards forest-related occupations. Special groups have already been established in a number of secondary schools in forest-dependent communities in Azerbaijan. The Ministry of Education has supported the movement by organizing two nation-wide young foresters’ competitions in the coun-try. The winners got a chance to participate in international conferences. Vusala Suley-manova, winner of the first young foresters’ con test, took part in the «10th Interna-tional Junior Forest Contest» held in Russia last year.To join the movement is easy; just apply to the already established group at your school or to the Republican Center for Ecological Educa tion and Practice. (Do we have an e-mail address???)

AzerbaijanFLEG II Program continues to support the expansion of YOUNG FORESTERS GROUPS



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«Green World» Round Table reveals increase interest ofYouth in Forestry Issues

BAKU, MARCH 12, 2014 . The FLEG II Program supported the «Green World» Roundtable organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) of Azerbaijan, to discuss youth participation in forestry activities, in the V. Korolyenko City Central Library.At the Round table: –The FLEG II Program Country Coordina-tor in Azerbaijan, Mr. Azer Garayev, and the FLEG II Forest Education Consultant, spoke on public awareness activities and new publications developed within the framework of the FLEG Program. A spe-cial presentation was then given which was particularly popular with the audience, fea-turing activities implemented by the ‘Young Foresters’ groups. These groups are a joint initiative of the FLEG II Program, Forest Development Department of MENR and Ministry of Education’s (MoE) Ecological Education and Practice Center. The Young Foresters operate in areas close to the for-ests in Azerbaijan.The Director of the MoE’s Ecological Educa-tion and Practice Center, Ali Shukurov, gave

an overview of school children’s greenery activities, and the history of the establish-ment of «Eco - club» in the City Central Youth Library.The «Eco - club» is a joint initiative of the MoE’s Ecological Education and Practice Centre and MCT’s City Central Youth Li-brary. Members of the club regularly orga-nize meetings with the scholars, poets and writers covering ecological topics. “Eco- club”, members made presentations on spe-cially protected areas and rare forest flora and fauna. School students demonstrated their passion and love for forest biodiversity in the poems «Karabakh», «Khari-Bulbul» and a number of others; a novel way to highlight threats to forests.Other topics addressed included:

work ing within the framework of Azerbaijani Law regarding the “Ecological education and awareness of the population” by the

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Senior Consultant of MoE’s; education and Extra- Curricular Institutions’ Department, Elmir Ali-zade;

,dnaltserof inajiabrezA eht fo sutats tnerruc ehtecological problems and activities carried out in the expansion of forest covered territories by Docent of the Environmental Department in the Baku State University, Mr. Allahverdi Dolk hanov;

the role of libraries in the promotion of ecological knowledge among the population;

«Greenery activities» which were proposed as a part of a newly launched «Green Azerbaijan Month» initiative.

The participants in the meeting included the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR), Binagadi District Library, the FLEG II Pro-gram, schoolchildren from Baku City Sec-ondary School number 3 and members of the «Eco - club».

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ArmeniaTEEB Scoping Study for the Forest Sector of Armenia

The TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) scoping study for the forest sector of Armenia was implemented in the framework of the FLEG II (ENPI East) Program funded by EU. The Austrian Development Cooperation (ADA) provides additional funding for FLEG II Program some components in Armenia. The outcomes of the study emphasize the following needs:

revision of relevant policy and legislation to reflect ecosystem services (ES);

integration of the economics of biodiversity and ESs in decision-making;

improvement of inst itutional and human capacities for consideration of TEEB aspects, improvement of institutional framework;

forest management planning and implementation of the plans;

dialogue between various actors; awareness raising on the value of biodiversity and ESs;

implementation of pilot projects to show the long-term benefits of sustainable forest management and protection of ESs and others.

The TEEB scoping study included expert work with discussion of the study findings and proposals during a stakeholder work-shop, which was organized in Yerevan on April 30, 2014 . The workshop was attended by more than 25 representatives from various forest related state entities (the Ministries of Agriculture and Nature Protection), international organizations and NGOs. The EU Delegation representative was also present.The study report can serve as a roadmap



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for further steps on considering ESs pro-vided by forests and development of cost-ef-fective policy responses and better informed decisions.

Tracking illegal logging to ensure protection of Armenia’s forests

By creating a community monitoring system, and through proactive advocacy and education, Armenia’s state forestry agency show just how far things have changed since working with IUCN and partners.The multi-country FLEG II began working with the Armenian government in 2009, in order to tackle illegal logging and protect its limited forest resources. Armenia is a small country with a rich natural and cultural heritage, whose topography is dominated by high mountains, river basins and numerous alpine lakes. However, illegal logging and related government corruption are major problems in Armenia’s forestry sector, which had to be urgently addressed as forest total area has decreased in the past decades and is now estimated to cover only about 11per cent of total land area in Armenia.Over the course of the first three years of the program, known as “FLEG 1”, significant progress was made in securing governments’ commitment to reduce illegal logging, improve forest governance and introduce policy reforms as well as collaborate with NGOs, local environmental organizations and forest communities. Illegal logging has been substantially reduced, leading to many sawmill closures. In addition, the participa-tory approach encouraged by the FLEG 1 initiatives has raised public awareness of the detrimental impacts of uncontrolled illegal

logging.

In studies conducted by IUCN and its partners within Armenia’s forestry sector, the real scale of illegal logging was revealed to be 80 times higher than the officially declared statistics. These astonishing results were presented in an open stakeholder forum attended by government officials, environmental NGOs, local organizations, community members as well as journalists. It was the first time such information was revealed to the public, pushing back the walls of government secrecy and spurring awareness among the Armenians, especially among local activists and forest communities on the impact of illegal logging on deforesta-tion and its environmental consequences.“The biggest achievement of the FLEG II project was the change in the attitude of the people working in the forestry

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FLEG II roadshow has already made a big difference to local lives, so far. The villagers sought FLEG II’s assistance to present their views and make their claims to be heard by the government. One of the forest community appeals, asking for the rights to gather fallen deadwood was granted by the government.“We compiled the communities’ list of proposals and passed it on to Hayantar so that Hayantar could present the list to the

is a brilliant example of working directly with the communities and transmitting their needs to the government.”Civil society and independent monitoring of forests in FLEG II. Interventions for combating illegal logging and other forest activities require strength-ening of forest law enforcement through independent monitoring. Currently, the second phase of the FLEG II program (FLEG II) is underway and it will implement an independent forest monitoring platform using global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) to

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Luba Balyan, IUCN-FLEG Country Program Coordinator in Armenia. “Now NGOs, government and the public are holding press conferences, sitting side by side and openly debating about highly sensitive issues. Be-fore, it was not even thinkable.”Empowering people and communities through knowledge dissemination IUCN set up a journalist resource platform with the aim of providing journalists with training in environmental reporting. Journal -ists were allowed to witness debates and dialogues between government officials, sci-entists, environmental NGOs and community members, so that they could get a represen-tative picture of the varied viewpoints and present balanced coverage on environmental issues. In addition, the journalists were allowed to visit illegal logging hot spots to witness first-hand the level of destruction.“It is extremely important that journalists receive the clearest and most accurate information on environmental issues which can improve public debates and in turn enable them to hold the governments to

The FLEG II roadshow - cruising 20 forest

In order to reach out to rural and isolated forest communities, IUCN teamed up with Hayantar (Armenia’s forestry agency) to conduct a roadshow, offering information and advice to the communities on the im-portance of natural resources conservation. During its tour of Armenia, the FLEG II vehicle, carrying forestry and legal experts, would stop at village squares to discuss with villagers issues faced by the villagers related to forest degradation and illegal logging, which included soil erosion, drying up of water resources and soil degradation.Moving through the forest communities, the

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pinpoint affected areas and to construct an interactive forest mapping website. These maps will provide accurate field data that can be cross-checked against data by gov-ernment and private sector sources.Mobile groups composed of private citizens and forest experts will be trained to log GPS data and GPS tagged photos whenever they discover illegal forest operations. “All violations will be recorded , including logging, illegal constructions and dumping, as well as natural phenomena such as forest fires - will be recorded and plotted on the

-ing forestry experts, students and activists to launch this project.Since monitoring can also occur using local resources, the FLEG II roadshow will con-tinue visiting communities to engage them in the monitoring of illegal forestry activities and reporting violations.

GeorgiaStakeholder Meeting in Georgia to Discuss the First Draft of the Analysis of the Voluntary Forest Certif ication Potential

On 23 May 2014 , a meeting was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, dedicated to the discus-sion of the initial draft of the analysis of voluntary forest certification potential in Georgia under Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) scheme. The meeting was organized by WWF-Caucasus Programme Office under the FLEG II (ENPI East) Program funded by EU. The Austrian Development Cooperation (ADA) provides additional funding for some program components in Armenia and Georgia.Voluntary forest certification is an impor-tant component of the FLEG II Program. Certification is an internationally renowned market-based tool supporting sustainable forestry. Only those companies/enterprises, which meet environmentally sound, socially acceptable and economically viable manage-ment standards (based on FSC Principles and Criteria), can obtain a certificate. Although the Georgian government supports voluntary forest certification, it is important to assess the relevant potential in the coun-try and define necessary steps.The draft of the analysis had been prepared by the consultant hired by WWF-Caucasus Programme Office. The level of fulfilment of the requirements of FSC Principles and Criteria by the Georgian forestry sector had been analyzed. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the initial findings of analysis to the key stakeholders and obtain their feedback through open discussion. The



-sentatives of the state sector, international organizations and NGOs. The representative of EU Delegation also attended.The discussions revealed that some of the FSC criteria are basically met, while substantial work is needed to fulfill the requirements of the other (especially the issues related to forest conservation and biodiversity monitoring). Possible steps towards promotion of voluntary forest certification in Georgia were also identified. The final report of the analysis will be ready within the next couple of weeks. The document can become a useful guide for the future efforts towards implemen-tation of voluntary forest certification in Georgia. These efforts in their turn would contribute to the implementation of the FLEG II Program Development Objective «Review or revise forest sector policies and legal and administrative structures; improve knowledge of and support for sustainable forest management and good forest gover-nance (including the impact of related EU regulations) in the participating countries».

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Final mile in historic handover of Georgian forest protection to local control

The first months of 2014 have seen IUCN and local authorities identify a new way forward to achieve a historic first for forest protection in Georgia: a total handover of forest to local control in the sublime landscape of TushetiThe Tusheti Protected Landscape is located in Akhmeta, Kakheti, in the north-east of the country, covering 31 518 hectares. It constitutes part of «Tusheti Protected Ar-eas», together with Tusheti District Nature Reserve and Tusheti National Park.Being classified as a category V protected area by IUCN means that the Tusheti Land-scape is considered a unique «area where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant ecological, biological, cultural and scenic value; and where safeguarding the integrity of this interaction is vital to protecting and sustaining the area and its associated nature conservation and other values.»As with all of Georgia’s Protected Areas system, the Georgian government is working closely with IUCN through the FLEG II to follow guidelines on protected area manage-ment - particularly important when consid-ering the delicate balance between nature and the local population in Tusheti. This is especially relevant in the case of managing the area’s forests, which cover 10% of the landscape; and discussions over the years have led to a gradual evolution in thinking about who should be managing Tusheti’s forests in order to achieve the best results.Georgian forests are generally managed by the National Forestry Agency, but the

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forests within the country ’s protected areas fall under the responsibility of the Agency of Protected Areas, within the Ministry of Environment and Protection of Natural Resources. “But the case of Tusheti requires

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area, and therefore a place of outstanding natural beauty and value, it is also a resi -dential area where local livelihoods depend on tourism, agriculture, sheep-farming, and cattle breeding. Management of the area is therefore as much about tourism and rural development as it is about nature conserva-tion, if not more.”With this dual need in mind – that of pro -tecting both Tusheti’s natural environment and its extensive traditional human activities – over time, several rounds of discussions took place between community and gov-ernment representatives, with the aim of identifying the most appropriate managerial arrangement for its forests. These discus-sions coincided with the 2005 adoption of

Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG II) in Europe and North Asia (ENA), and then in 2006 an agreement was reached by all: that Tusheti’s forests should be locally-man-aged, with the Agency of Protected Areas providing support on technical matters when required. This move to locally controlled forest management was the first decision of its kind in Georgia.In spite of this progress, almost a decade since the first agreement, a lack of clarity on the legality of the arrangement remains, which could threaten long term protection of Tusheti’s forests. In order for the area to become officially locally controlled, its status as such has to be registered with the

national authorities. This is yet to happen.But as part of the second phase of the FLEG II, IUCN has been working with all parties to go the final mile and complete the transition to local control. To do this – and to thereby complete the negotiations – the forest within the Tusheti Protected Land-scape must be registered as a ‘Forest of Local Significance’. There is renewed expec-tation that this procedure can be completed in 2014, with full backing from the Georgian authorities.Despite this hopefully being achieved very soon, there are other challenges to be overcome in order to guarantee a sustain-able future for Tusheti. A major issue to be addressed is the absence of a strategic doc-ument on how to manage Tusheti Protected Landscape as a whole. For this, the existing Draft Management Plan must be approved. The draft document emphasizes the impor-tance of developing a forest management plan, but the administration currently lacks the capacity for such work.Through the FLEG II, IUCN – with its vast experience in work on Protected Areas – was considered the ideal partner to lead an assessment of current forest management practices in Tusheti. This assessment will provide the knowledge required to tailor a methodology for sustainable, multipurpose forest management that caters for both protection of the natural forest landscape and sustaining the local communities who depend up on it for their livelihoods.If these remaining challenges can all be overcome in the coming months, then as soon as 2015, the newly empowered local managers of Tusheti’s forests will be politically and technically supported to successfully implement sustainable forest management practices for years to come.



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“Succeeding in our work in Georgia and other FLEG II countries depends on us establishing a much better understanding of how the people who live in forest land-scapes depend on healthy, functioning for-

II Program Coordinator. “As IUCN is now prioiritising the development of a detailed global picture on human dependency on nature, our work in Tusheti will be part of pioneering the early stages of that work, and is therefore of international relevance.”In Georgia, FLEG II will work in 2014 across three main pillars of work: assessing forest management in protected areas, supporting locally controlled forestry, and assessing the extent of human dependency on nature (HDN) in forested landscapes.

Russian FederationImpact and legacy of promoting forest management through ecotourism in Bezhanitsy, Russia

Between 2009 and 2012, IUCN supported Polistovsky ’s forest community in Russia’s Bezhanitsy municipality (Western Russia) in developing ecotourism opportunities, in re-sponse to the region’s collapsing community and unsustainable forest management. This community-based ecotourism was aimed at improving environmental management and empowering the local community in the pursuit of more sustainable livelihoods.One year after the end of IUCN’s inter-vention through the FLEG I Program, the Polistovsky community has been able to take full control of the ecotourism development while sustainably utilizing their natural for-est resource. This ecotourism venture has not only provided a source of employment and income but has also strengthened the community awareness on the importance of protecting their forest resources.In the Polistovsky Nature Reserve, the

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opportunity of tourism exists because of the natural beauty manifested in its wetlands, forests and bogs that sustain a wide variety of flora and fauna. However, due to strict forest legislation and overall economic decline, the number of Polistovsky ’s dwel-lers in nearby Tsevlo settlement, dropped to today ’s 600 from 2500 in the 1980’s; as inhabitants were forced to forego the great natural beauty to look for employment elsewhere.

Ecotourism Roadmap As one of FLEG II implementing partners, IUCN established a dialogue between the local community and the Director of the Polistovsky Nature Reserve, in order to improve the relationship between the two parties as well as to determine their needs and priorities before providing recommenda-tions for ecotourism and conservation of the forest reserve.“Our major task was to help the commu-nity to build a roadmap and steps to take

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in order to develop a sustainable model for the use of non-timber resources, and making sure that this model is legal” says Andrey Zaytsev, IUCN’s FLEG II coordinator based in Moscow.Andrey Zaytsev inspired Polistovsky ’s com-munity to apply for a grant from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The community was awarded 7000 Euros which helped create their plan of action and initiate the “Eco-tourism Pilot Project”. The significance of this achievement was recognized by the Governor of the Pskov region, which in turn made the community feel valued and motivated to fully cooperate with the FLEG II program initiatives.

Eco-trails, cranberries and teas There is an abundance of cranberries growing wild in the natural bogs of the Polistovsky Nature Reserve. “These cranber-ries are delicious and pollution-free”, adds Andrey Zaytsev, who saw the potential and success of serving cranberry Russian cakes in the restaurant located in the reserve. Indeed today, the Polistovsky Nature Re-serve restaurant draws crowds of tourists, by serving specialty cranberry cakes. The

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restaurant and visitor centre also sells a variety of medicinal herbal teas, made using the leaves of forest plants, as well as local handicrafts.FLEG II Program continued to provide Polistovsky Nature Reserve with information on regulations of forest resources and tech-nical assistance in setting up an integrated tourist strategy, leading to the successful culmination of the pilot phase. This success enabled them to leverage more funding from the Russian Ministry for Nature Protection of about 100,000 US Dollars, which financed the construction of the nature reserve visitors centre and the refurbishment of its restaurant and lodge. The Nature Reserve has also reached an agreement with several Estonian tour operators to include Polist-ovsky eco-trails into their travel programs.Mikhail Yablokov, Director of Polistovsky Nature Reserve visited other nature

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reserves in Estonia, England, Sweden and USA to learn about conservation manage-ment strategies and conflict management of poaching and encroachment. “However, we can now rely on the support of the community in reporting poachers and illegal activities” stated Andrey Zaytsev. “The local community now has a sense of ownership and responsibility for their land and natural resources and I consider this to be a very important achievement.”

Future plans The Polistovsky model of ecotourism has been so successful that it will be replicated in Northwestern Russia, the Baikal Region and Russian Far East. In October 2013, FLEG II launched the second phase of the Program, and the FLEG II program has begun negotiations with 15 reserves that are interested in replicating Polistovsky ’s successful model of ecotourism.

ENPI East Countries FLEG II Pilot Implemented in Voronezh Region

In November, representatives from the EU-funded FLEG II Program met with high ranking officials from the Voronezh govern-ment, including the Vice-Governor of the Voronezh region and the Head of the De-partment of Property and Land Regulations, to discuss the details of the pilot region.The Voronezh region was chosen to pilot measures designed to address forest management and law enforcement issues, focusing on areas protected by law. These areas have regionally specific governance concerning their use, conservation, fire protection and health.These discussions were particularly signifi -cant considering the area was badly affected



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by forest fires in 2010. The aftermath of these fires, such as the remaining burnt wood, continues to make rehabilitation and reforestation still presents a challenge for the Voronezh region.More detailed information of the meet-ing can be found here: http://www.govvrn.ru/wps/portal/AVO/wcmCon-tent?WCM_QUERY=/voronezh/avo/main/new271120131457&presentationtemplate-=vrnOnePeaceOfNewsPt&CONTENT-CACHE=NONE

Illegal logging in Russia: knowledge of its scale is of vital importance for ef fective decision-making

How much timber is logged illegally in Rus-sia? No one knows the exact volumes. FLEG II team has brought leading experts together to start developing a methodology to assess the volume of illegal logging in Russia at the federal and regional levels. On December 10, 2013, in Moscow, the first meeting of a working group of experts of the FLEG II Program for the development of a methodology on illegal logging volume assessment was held. The problem of lim-ited knowledge in this area is demonstrated by both objective and subjective challenges. It is extremely difficult to identify ille-gal loggers and irresponsible ‘legal’ forest companies in vast forests, and even satel-lite imagery does not help much as it can only identify illegal clear cuts over a certain size. Individual trees, with the most valuable timber, are frequently the target of illegal loggers. Also, as is well illustrated in the case study developed by the WWF’s Amur Branch (http://www.wwf.ru/resources/publ/book/776), in some regions large volumes of illegal timber are harvested by ‘legal’, regis -

tered forest companies who do not respect approved logging practices in the course of selective and/or sanitation logging, when the best and the most valuable trees are logged instead of those that are poorly formed and damaged by pests and diseases. There are also challenges related to: the vague definition of illegal logging recently introduced into Russian legislation; the lack of a uniform and officially approved system for timber measurement and reporting; the absence of an official system for the control of timber trade; and the lack of transpar-ency in current and planned uses of forests, including the data on felling sites, felling volumes and species. Corruption in law en-forcement and forest control is also a major factor. It is highly problematic to identify all cases of illegal logging in Russian forests in the near future, so WWF have developed and tested an indirect method of calculating ille-gal logging volumes: the ‘balance’ method is based on comparing timber volumes permit-ted for harvesting with factually produced, consumed and traded timber. This method, tested as early as 2006 (http://www.wwf.ru/resources/publ/book/209), has proved effective in determining illegally harvested volumes of Mongolian oak in the Russian Far East (http://www.wwf.ru/resources/publ/book/776). However, when used for any timber products (and especially for those produced for domestic market and subsis-tence use), this method has to be based on accurate and available statistical data on log-ging volumes, volumes of timber produced, and volumes of various timber products pro-duced and consumed.When the future methodology for calculat-ing illegal logging volumes was discussed by participants of the meeting, large discrepan-



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cies between official and alternative data on illegal logging were indicated, and it was also noted that the lack of transparency and the low quality of existent statistical informa-tion on timber harvesting, timber trade and production are going to be the major chal-lenges. The work on developing the method-ology will continue. “Lacking accurate and trustworthy informa-tion on illegal logging is one of the major challenges that affect forest management and law: usually official data on illegal logging un-derestimates the scale of the problem, and this underestimation subsequently results in insufficient funding for forest rangers, a lack of willingness to invest in the approval and enforcement of the long-awaited law on round timber trade and a lack in develop-ment of the official system for timber trade control for civil society. WWF believes that open source publication on planned and on-going logging, including schematic maps of felling sites locations, species composition and allocated volumes to be logged, would help local people and civil society activists to address illegal logging,” said Nikolay Shmat-kov, Forest Policy Projects Coordinator.The aims of WWF work in this period are the independent assessment of the scale of illegal logging, and informing the public. Within this framework, development of a methodology is planned, to assess the scale of illegal logging and assess the volume in several areas of the Russian Federation, and, if possible, in Russia in general.To initiate work on assessing the volume of illegal logging, WWF is conducting a workshop for experts to discuss how best to develop the methodology for the calculation of illegal logging volumes at the federal and regional levels, in the framework of the implementa-tion of the ENPI East Countries FLEG II.

Ukraine Forests have been protected even in the time of wars and revolutions

This is the title of one of the articles sub-mitted to the journalist competition on the best material on forest-related theme called “Every year is the year of forests”. This competition is held for the third time under the FLEG II program in Ukraine in partner-ship with Telekritika – the leading NGO in media sector. The competition started on February 25, 2014 with the announcement in the internet and electronic distribution lists and will run until the middle of June 2014.Journalists and free-lancers from all types of media are invited to express their views on the situation in the Ukrainian forest sector and come up with proposals for improving the current state of things. The jury expects that the material submitted to the competi-tion will include analyzing the current situa-tion, identifying unsolved issues and barriers for the progressive development, formulat-ing vision for the future model and ways for its achievement. The competition organizers encourage submitting analytical items which are written/filmed specifically as journalist material and not academic material. Items published/broadcast starting from the

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to the competition. For example, one of the winners of the previously held competitions, Maksym Golovan, a journalist from Krym has submitted material about the need to sort out the mess in the forest reserves of Krym, published in summer 2013.The most interesting items are posted on Telekritika website (http://www.telekritika.ua/lesnoi_sector/2014-03-14/91409) and the Ukrainian FLEG program website (http://www.fleg.org.ua/konkurs-2014/108).Previous competitions have demonstrated that such events considerably increase the interest of journalists and NGO activists in forest-related themes and make the forest sector more transparent and public.

date of the FLEG II program launch (July 1, 2013) through May 2014 can be submitted to the competition. The items submitted will be assessed by media experts and forest sector specialists. Each member of the jury will give his/her marks; the winners will be announced after the counting of marks.Among the winners of the two previous competitions were such famous Ukrainian investigative journalists as Dmytro Gnap (among other things for a series of journal-istic stories about “the tsar hunting” of the already former president Yanukovych) and Iryna Fedoriv (a well-known defender of Belychanskyi forest, who managed to obtain a personal promise from Yanukovych to de-clare the forest a preserved area. Although this promise was never fulfilled activists and journalists managed to prevent the forest’s split-up). Notwithstanding that the main efforts of journalists are currently focused on covering the situation in Krym (including the reaction of the international community and in partic-ular the EU), and separatist provocations in the Southern and Eastern parts of the coun-try, first items have been already submitted

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C o m i n g i n t h e n e x t i s s u e :

Europe Day in Armenia

All-Russian junior forestry competition «Podrost»

Media competition in Ukraine (results)

A region-wide study on forest functionality and human dependence on nature, launched in Georgia

Updates on major FLEG II progress in Belarus

A growing interest in the FLEG II ecotourism model across Russia

Innovative artistic forest campaigns in Moldova



EUROPEAN COMMISSION The European Union is the world’s largest donor of official development assistance. EuropeAid Development and Cooperation, a Directorate General of the European Commission, is responsible for designing European development policy and delivering aid throughout the world. EuropeAid delivers aid through a set of financial instruments with a focus on ensuring the quality of EU aid and its effectiveness. An active and proactive player in the development field, EuropeAid promotes good governance, human and economic development and tackle universal issues, such as fighting hunger and preserving natural resources.http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

WORLD BANKThe World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of knowledge and funding for its 188 member-countries. The organizations that make up the World Bank Group are owned by the governments of member nations, which have the ultimate decision-making power within the organizations on all matters, including policy, financial or membership issues. The World Bank Group comprises five closely associated institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), which together form the World Bank; the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Each institution plays a distinct role in the World Bank Group’s mission to end extreme poverty by decreasing the percentage of people living on less than $1.25 a day to no more than 3 percent, and promote shared prosperity by fostering the income growth of the bottom 40 percent for every country. For additional information please visit:http://www.worldbank.org, http://www.ifc.org, http://www.miga.org

IUCNIUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation, with more than 1,200 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.www.iucn.org

WWFWWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.www.panda.org

About FLEG II ( ENPI East) Program

Project Partners

The Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) II European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) East Countries Program supports participating countries’ forest governance. At the regional level, the Program aims to implement the 2005 St. Petersburg FLEG Ministerial Declaration and support countries to commit to a time-bound action plan; at the national level the Program will review or revise forest sector policies and legal and administrative structures; and improve knowledge of and support for sustainable forest management and good forest governance in the participating countries, and at the sub-national (local) level the Program will test and demonstrate best practices for sustainable forest management and the feasibility of improved forest governance practices at the field-level on a pilot basis. Participating countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine. The Program is funded by the European Union. http://www.enpi-fleg.org

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