Putin Signs Forest Code Despite Criticism from Environmentalists

On Tuesday, December 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a new code regulating forest ownership. Putin signed the law despite severe criticism by environmental activists, the Kremlin said.

The new set of regulations will remove forests from private ownership and transfer responsibility for their protection and maintenance from the federal to regional governments.

Environmental organizations criticized the code, calling it unworkable under current conditions. They said it will effectively leave forests without any control.

Activists predict that in the six months to a year that it will take to put in place regulations needed to make the law work, loggers will cut down trees closer to roads and villages for easy transport. Environmentalists are also concerned that the code opens the way for construction in forests.

According to the environmental organization Greenpeace, Russia’s forests constitute 22 percent of the world’s total woodlands, an area larger than the continental United States.

Popularity: 1% [?]