The government demands that the bill on clear-cutting on Lake Baikal be finalized

The Russian government demanded that the controversial bill allowing clear cutting in the central ecological zone of Lake Baikal be finalized. The document was previously adopted by the State Duma in the first reading: according to the authors, it is necessary for the construction of roads, wastewater treatment plants, cafes, restaurants and toilets. The amendments were criticized both in the legal department of the State Duma and in UNESCO, where they saw “a weakening of the standards for permissible impact on the Baikal ecosystem.” As a result, at the second reading the government demanded that the project be brought into compliance with the Forestry Code of the Russian Federation, which prohibits clear-cutting, without, however, saying how exactly the legislator should do this.

The official response of the Russian government to the draft law on logging on Lake Baikal was adopted, according to Kommersant’s information, on October 2 (Kommersant got acquainted with the text of its draft). The document “is aimed at solving accumulated problems and issues related to environmental safety and socio-economic development of the Baikal Natural Territory” (BNT). “The need to resolve these issues does not raise any objections,” the government believes. Nevertheless, fundamental comments were left on the amendments.

Thus, the draft review notes: the authors of the amendments actually propose to cancel the ban on clear-cutting of forests and the transfer of forest fund lands to lands of other categories in the central ecological zone (CEZ) of the BNT. But the government reminds that this is contrary to the Forestry Code of the Russian Federation, which prohibits such operations in “protective forests.”

Let us recall that in July 2023, the State Duma adopted in the first reading amendments to the laws “On the Protection of Lake Baikal” and “On Environmental Expertise”, allowing clear logging in the Central Economic Zone of the BNT. The authors of the document from parliament and the Federation Council proposed allowing the construction of roads, sewage treatment plants, public utilities, cafes, restaurants and toilets there, citing concern for local residents and the fact that “life does not stand still.” It is proposed to allow logging until the end of 2030. In addition, until 2025, the project allows for the transfer of forest fund lands to other categories for the creation of “military and civilian burial grounds.” The project was accompanied by a list of 75 plots (with a total area of ​​up to 600 hectares) where hydraulic structures could be cut and built. Opponents in the State Duma called the document “the funeral of a sacred lake” (see Kommersant, July 12).

Even the legal department of parliament previously opposed the bill. Also, the draft government recall states that the state legal department of the president was against the adoption of the document in the first reading and sent a corresponding letter to the State Duma. Finally, in August 2023, concern about the bill weakening the standards for permissible impact on the Baikal ecosystem was expressed at UNESCO: they called on Russia not to approve the amendments (see Kommersant on August 31). After this, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Pyotr Tolstoy (United Russia) called for consideration of the issue of Russia’s withdrawal from UNESCO.

The draft government review states that the authors of the amendments must coordinate its text with the Forest Code of the Russian Federation. However, how exactly they should do this – abandon the initiative on clear cutting and transfer of land to another category or, conversely, propose changing the code itself – is not explained. At the same time, the draft review immediately makes a recommendation to “explore the possibility of clear-cutting” in the BNT, including “in order to ensure the livelihoods of the population.” The government also recommends providing for “the need to assess the negative impact of planned economic and other activities on the environment,” as prescribed by the federal law “On Environmental Protection.” Let us note that earlier the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Vyacheslav Fetisov, called for a scientific calculation of the consequences of the adoption of the amendments. The head of this committee, Dmitry Kobylkin, believed that without cutting down forests it would be impossible to build hydraulic structures.

As a result, the Russian government “believes it is necessary” to finalize the bill for the second reading in the State Duma. Honored ecologist of Russia Vsevolod Stepanitsky finds the review “in formal essence correct”: “In fact, it is proposed to either amend the Forest Code of the Russian Federation by eliminating the ban on clear-cutting on Lake Baikal, or not to adopt anything at all, no amendments – this will also comply with the norms.” But the expert criticizes the authors of the review for not indicating a clear attitude towards the bill: “Isn’t the whole problem that it doesn’t “fight” with the Forest Code? And if it “beats,” then everything is fine and you can chop?”

Alexander Voronov