ERA-GLONASS system will help to tighten control over illegal timber trafficking

This assessment of the agreement concluded between the Federal forestry Agency and JSC “GLONASS”, gave the head of the Ministry of natural resources Dmitry Kobylkin.  The document was signed on the 21st of November at the VIII International Congress “ERA–GLONASS” GLONASS in the digital economy”. 

According to the press center of the Ministry of natural resources and ecology of the Russian Federation, the installed monitoring system will allow online tracking the location and movement of vehicles that are involved in logging operations-cars, tractors and timber carriers. “The introduction of such a monitoring system in real time will significantly increase the efficiency in the implementation of one of the priority activities of the Ministry of natural resources of Russia and Rosleskhoz – control over illegal timber turnover,” the Minister said.

The agreement defines the procedure for interaction between the parties in the implementation of control over vehicles using an automated system for monitoring objects on the basis of the state automated information system “ERA-GLONASS”. Deputy Minister of natural resources and ecology of the Russian Federation – head of Federal forestry Agency Ivan Valentik, in turn, noted that presently there is the question of fitting a similar system of monitoring and forest fire equipment. “We are focused on long-term strategic partnership. In the near future will be held another meeting with the leadership of JSC “GLONASS”, which is planned to discuss in detail the nuances of our cooperation,” said Mr. Valentik.

According to the Federal forestry Agency, today in the whole country there is a positive trend to reduce illegal logging: for the year its volume decreased by 10%. In addition, the average number of illegal logging cases per year decreased by 33% across the country, which indicates a significant increase in the efficiency of forest inspectors in 2018.

As of November 2018, 12.6 thousand facts of illegal logging with the volume of 957 thousand cubic meters were revealed in Russia. compared to the same period last year, there was a decrease in the number of illegal logging by 10%, and the volume by 39%.

At the same time, the awareness of citizens has increased in the country – about 4% of the facts of illegal logging in Russia were revealed during the verification of information received from citizens and public organizations. In many ways, this is a consequence of active work on the creation of a system of interaction with public organizations and citizens, including through the involvement of public inspectors, members of public organizations and Cossack societies in forest patrolling activities. This year, the number of public forest inspectors has increased by half and reached almost 6 thousand people.

Work to increase the number of state forest inspectors continues today throughout the country. Thanks to the measures taken, the number of inspectors increased from 2010 to 2018 by 55% (from 14.9 thousand to 23.1 thousand people). Insurance of life and health of forest inspectors and their families, salary increase, implementation of preferential training programs and other measures can increase the social significance of the profession and attract young promising personnel to the forestry industry.