Russia’s Federal Forest Agency has developed a new system of forest monitoring in a bid to deal with illicit tree felling and illegal timber sales in the Far Eastern Federal District.
Valery Roshchupkin, head of the agency, said forestry officials use space digital surveying equipment and aerial photography to help them identify areas where felling is happening and establish whether or not it is legal.
He said checks in the Khabarovsk and Maritime territories revealed serious violations in timber procurement.
In 2005 and the first quarter of 2005, illegal logging was registered on an area of 16,000-17,000ha.
The inspection of several areas in the Khabarovsk Territory found 48,000ha of illegally cut trees while checks at two forestry farms in the Maritime Territory revealed illegal forest felling on an area of 22,000ha.
