Policy Transformed: An Examination of Russia's Latest Forest Code and Its Effects on the Forestry Sector (Research Brief)

This research brief provides an overview of recent developments in Russian forestry policy that have unfolded following the rewriting of the latest Forest Code, which was instituted in 2007. The brief contextualizes the code, giving a short background of what led to its reformulation. It then examines the fundamental changes stipulated by the code, which include the following: decentralization; separation of administrative and management functions in the Forest Service; a shift from a permit to a declarative system of forest use; and increased responsibilities for leasers in terms of forest management (forest regeneration and forest fire prevention). Next it looks at some of the most visible effects of the code on Russia’s forestry sector, such as the disappearance of forest protection, a dramatic rise in bureaucracy, and the loss of small and medium timber companies. It also explores why the code has generated public outcry from forestry specialists in the Forest Service, non-governmental organizations, and academia and why they often view the code as a piece of failed legislation. The code’s shortcomings became strikingly apparent in summer 2010 when a lack of coordinated fire-fighting efforts led to uncontrollable fires that damaged large swaths of forests in European Russia. The brief concludes by outlining potential new developments in forestry policy and discussing relevance for policy makers.

Download the pdf at the top of this page for the full brief.

Stephanie Hitztaler, of the University of Michigan, was a 2010-11 Embassy Policy Specialist (EPS) fellow.