Zubkov discussed preparations for the current fire hazard season, and stressed that there will be even more droughts this summer than last, especially in the country's east. He highlighted the preventative measures the federal government is taking in the regions in anticipation. Inspections resulted in the dismissal of Pyotr Diyuk, the chief forest manager of the Primorye Territory, for unsatisfactory performance. "The materials from the inspection have been forwarded to the prosecutor's office," the First Deputy Prime Minister said. "The same thing will happen to all negligent managers in 2010."
Zubkov also called attention to forest managers' personal responsibility at the federal level: "Noting that forest fire prevention and response are within the jurisdiction of regional authorities under the law is not an acceptable excuse. Forests are federal property first and foremost, and forest fire prevention is federally funded. Consequently, prevention and routine monitoring of the potential for forest fires in the regions are the responsibility of federal executive bodies."
The First Deputy Prime Minister also cited positive examples. "Ninety-four percent of forest fires in the Kurgan Region, and all fires in the Bryansk and Ulyanovsk regions are extinguished the same day they were first noticed. The area affected by forest fires in the Amur Region fell by more than tenfold in April and May compared to the same period last year."
Another topic of discussion at the conference was the implementation of regional plans for forest fire response, supplying fire-fighting devices to residents and the conformity of fire response measures with accepted standards. The participants also analysed the causes of forest fires and discussed fire-fighting measures.
Zubkov noted the inadequate performance of the Buryat and Komi republics and the Ivanovo and Tyumen regions in exercising the authority delegated to them in the sphere of forest fire prevention.
Zubkov instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to expedite the drafting of the relevant regulatory acts on forest fire prevention, "taking into account the previous instructions issued by the government of the Russian Federation".
A decision was made to recommend to regional governing bodies that they fund forest fire prevention and response from the regional budgets and to set aside a portion of revenues from forest leasing to finance forestry development, particularly the purchase of equipment for fire prevention and response. Regions should also develop forest protection targeted programmes through 2015, and create relevant jobs in forest services for the timely registration of forest fires when using data from the Federal Forestry Agency's information system for remote monitoring of forest fires.
Zubkov also highlighted the "extreme inefficiency" in compensating for damages caused by illegal cutting in some regions, particularly the Primorye and Krasnoyarsk territories. "Forests are our national property. We must take decisive action to protect them, and the regions must take responsibility for this," he said.