Meeting participants discussed the issues of bioenergy development based on raw wood processing and the use of biofuel in the housing and utilities sector. They also reviewed the development of an evaluation process to assess how effectively regional authorities exercise the powers relegated to them by the government in forestry.
Addressing the meeting, Zubkov said:
"Developing a national bioenergy program meets the government's strategic goals. In our case this applies to the production of solid fuel pellets from sawdust, logging slash and low-quality wood.
This is a most promising fuel for use in housing and utilities both in cities and rural boiler stations. The European Union produces 6 percent of its heat and electricity from bioenergy while Russia does less than 1 percent. We must change this, all the more so since the country has all the necessary prerequisites -- an abundance of unused low-quality wood and felling waste, and an almost inexhaustible demand for this kind of fuel in Russia and in Europe.
In addition, a mechanism to encourage Russian and foreign fuel pellet producers already exists. We have allocated money from the federal budget to the Investment Fund to provide government support for this production. Sixteen pellet production companies are on the Ministry of Industry and Trade list of priority investment projects.
Various regions across the country, for instance, the Vologda and Arkhangelsk regions, which possess a significant raw materials base, are already drafting programmes for high-tech production from refuse wood, primary processing waste and low-quality wood. I would recommend that other regions initiate this practice as well, as it has proved its efficiency.
The second issue is assessing the performance of the regions now that the Forest Code has transferred the authority in forestry to them. Developing such an evaluation procedure is an objective set by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the Syktyvkar meeting and during the round table discussion "Forest and Man" at the Moscow International Forum.
A wide range of responsibilities from forest planning to protection and reforestation has been transferred to the regions. The inspections conducted by the Federal Forestry Agency (Rosleskhoz) show that reports on the scale and the targeted performance do not provide a complete picture of the regions' work. Their performance is evaluated without regard for natural climatic conditions, diversity or designated forest use, or the degree of fire risk.
The new review process includes 19 indicators which are combined into five groups describing the condition and use of forests, production and economic activities and forest protection.
The Federal Forestry Agency has done a lot, but we expect that this new review process will supply us with an objective picture of regional performance.
We will consider the draft procedures for the review process at today's meeting, after which we will discuss it extensively with the participation of all forest administration levels."