Officials from the regional administration in charge of forest
management have recently launched a new policy for the management
of the Virgin Komi Forests. The policy redefines the area of
protection in order to permit gold mining in the removed object of
protection.
The interference with Russia's oldest object of World Heritage
has materialized in a remarkably regular manner so far. Equivalent
records of discreditable world heritage management took place 1998,
2001 and 2004 when the national park area decreased in favor of
local industrial demands.
At the end of last year the municipality of the local district
"Inta" published a decision assuming the removal of 1900 ha land
from the national park "Jugyd va". An implementation of this
decision will unavoidably cause serious damage to the natural
complex. Such an implementation can also only be done in conflict
with the World Heritage Convention which was ratified already 1988
by U.S.S.R. UNESCO will now once again have to reassess a Russian
World Heritage regarding the necessity to put it on the list of
"World Heritage in Danger". Equivalent assessments took place last
year concerning the heritages "Lake Baikal" and "Western
Caucasus".
Greenpeace Russia requests a correct treatment of the case by
the Prosecutor General in accordance with applicable laws as well
as an appropriate prosecutorial reaction on the situation.
The Virgin Komi Forests cover 3.28 million ha of tundra and
mountain tundra in the Urals, as well as one of the most extensive
areas of virgin boreal forest remaining in Europe. This area of
conifers, aspens, birches, peat bogs, rivers and natural lakes has
been monitored and studied for over 50 years. It provides valuable
evidence of the natural processes affecting biodiversity in the
taiga.