How to improve independent monitoring of legality of wood harvesting in Ukraine during wartime

ForestCom held an open discussion with state, NGO, and industry representatives on the ways to independently confirm the legality of timber harvesting and transportation in Ukraine that could be achieved during such difficult times with no harm to national security.

Environmental protection non governmental organizations, as well as officials of the Ministry of Environment and state enterprises, forest experts and other interested parties took part in the discussion.

The main issue during the discussion was the possibility of independent verification of forestry activities related to logging. It is the lack of this opportunity due to the closure of a number of state resources that could endanger the Ukrainian wood export to the EU countries.

"We work with the wooden products businesses. Furniture makers and woodworkers are most excited about solving this problem, because the question of export is at stake, without which these small enterprises will not survive. It is important that this issue be closed at the strategic level," said Yuriy Dyug, a specialist of the engagement agency of investments "Invest in Rivne".

The possibility of authorized access to LIAC resources

After the start of the war, it became impossible to check the location, area and configuration of the fellings themselves due to the lack of access to electronic forest maps - https://map.ukrforest.com/.

In the appeal of the NGO "LIiS" to the Ministry of Environment, it is proposed to provide authorized access to the mapping resource of the State Enterprise "Forestry Innovation and Analytical Center" for representatives of the State Environmental Inspection, public organizations and interested specialists. And also regularly update the database of logging tickets. This idea was recognized as necessary by most of the participants of the conference.

"If LIAC would returned access to information about logging tickets in the form it was before, even without cartographic materials, it would make our work much easier. Currently, these registers are incomplete. Some logging tickets do not make it there. For example, if we want to find information from December 11, 2021 to January 1, 2022, it will not be possible to do it," said Victoria Kuchmuk, representative of Tsunami LLC.

According to Yuriy Nestoryak, a representative of LIAC, the monitoring procedure behind the forest felling has become more complicated, but it is also possible without a cartographic resource:

"We are also contacted by users and experts who emphasize that they used to check information in 5 minutes, but now they spend an hour. In the future, logging tickets will be issued through Diya.

Accordingly, we will all have access to closed and protected information. Currently, we cannot restore the information, because the state databases are closed. If an enterprise is located in a combat zone, it is disconnected from the electronic wood accounting system. That is, the operation cannot be performed.

The seller and the buyer are registered on the stock exchange, and now, in connection with hostilities, this list of documents has been significantly expanded. If one of the bidders is related to the country of the aggressor, he will be excluded from the bidding," said Yuriy Nestoryak.

However, during the discussion, many people disagreed with the fact that cartographic information can somehow help the enemy - because even now there are various geo-informational applications freely available.

Also, in the appeal that the NGO "Forestcom" sent to the Ministry of Environment earlier, it is also proposed to regularly update the list of forestry enterprises of the State Forestry Agency, which have temporarily suspended economic activity due to hostilities in their territories.