Press Releases
Rosleskhoz and the USDA Forest Service Sign a Protocol of Intent to Conduct Joint Activities in Forest Protection
September 16, 2005
On September 16, 2005, Valeriy Roshchupkin, Head of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resource's Federal Agency for Forestry (Rosleskhoz), and Dale Bosworth, Forest Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, signed a protocol of intent between the forestry agencies of the two countries.
According to the protocol, Rosleskhoz and USDA Forest Service intend to conduct joint activities in forest conservation, protection, and reforestation as well as the monitoring of illegal logging. Both sides agreed to exchange information regarding pilot projects, legislative and administrative aspects of forest management, and voluntary forest certification. Exchanges of scientific and technical data in the forestry field were also agreed upon. Both sides expressed their intention to continue developing a close working relationship in forest ecosystem monitoring, including ecological monitoring and assessment of greenhouse gas emission and absorption in forests.
Cooperation will be coordinated by the established Steering Committee, represented by Rosleskhoz and USDA Forest Service staff. The committee will come out shortly with specific projects for cooperation in the forestry field in 2006-07.
The USDA Forest Service delegation held meetings to discuss potential areas of cooperation with regional forestry heads and local administrations in numerous cities including Irkutsk, Vladivostok, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and Khabarovsk.