«BLACK» BUSINESS OF CASUAL WORKERS

The article by Valery Dranchuk, Published in «Byelorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta» (The Belarusian business newspaper) Newspaper, #1002,
July 24, 2001

Clear sanitary cuttings, covering a total area of 50 hectares, have started in seven quarters of the National Park «Belovezhskaya Pushcha». That is the result of the long-term «assiduous» work of the Property Management Department of the President of the Republic of Belarus fulfilled on the protected territories.

Higher-ups have completely ignored the professional (ecological) approaches. Cuttings within protected quarters are authorized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. Work started at the same time when a representative of this Ministry — an expert in forestry and a true professional — was present in the Pushcha. However, being a fragile woman, she was roughly pushed aside when attempting to inspect the cutting sites, and was directed to another place: under a «hotel broom». Here, as it was said, all decisions were taken by the property Management Department, while the Ministry had nothing to do, except executing the loyalty rituals. The act coordinating the cuttings has the signature of deputy Minister Vasily Podolyako, who gave the approval while staying in the comfortable office on 10 Collector Street.

The decision on clear sanitary cuttings was taken privately, on grounds of the so-called «Certificate of spruce forests inspection», avoiding the Scientific and Technical Council of the park and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Unfortunately, among persons that signed the mentioned certificate there were also scientists: Ya. Marchenko (from the «Belarus Forest Protection» institution, within the Forest Ministry), A.Blincov (Belarusian State Technological University), A.Luchkov and A. Maximovich (Property Management Department of the President).

The industrial and economic pressure on so-called «specially protected» territory is most likely connected to a heavy debt, which the national park has run into. In 1999, when the unforgettable curator of reserved areas of Belarus, Ivan Titenkov became Manager of the Presidential Affairs, a second-hand high-efficiency sawmill was purchased from a German businessman. It was projected to process the living wood, and was actually an additional stimulation to vandalization of the Pushcha. However, the most serious problems are debts. Huge monthly payments are needed to cover the adventurous purchase because the large sum of money was taken on credit and ostensibly «under guarantee of the president».

Three months ago there was a change of management: Evgeny Smoktunovich, the cultivated circumspect professional, forester descending from the locals, was replaced by Nickolai Bambiza, notorious for developing industrial and economic activities in other specially protected territory — the «Pripyatski» National Park. For many years he was general director there and then head of the Belarusian Fish Inspectorate, whence he was «extracted» three months ago by the current Manager G.Zhuravkova.

The «black» business of clear cuttings poses a danger of both enormous losses of biodiversity in the best preserved site of the green Atlanta, and of great moral costs. It is impossible to forget that 90 percent of forests in Belovezhskaya Pushcha have primary character. They grew naturally and free of human intervention. But the present managers of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha try shamelessly to forget that they are in control of the most representative resources of the country, the Biosphere Reserve included in the List of World Heritage Sites of Mankind. They forget because they are casual managers, and think they should be quick to take, while chaos and mayhem are in the country, and before future changes come. Their mentality is created by living in a criminality plagued drowsy state.

Now, the Initiative Group «Belarussian Green Association» appeals to the public to protect natural national property. Two months ago the «Belovezhskaya Pushcha» newspaper and its Public council, guided by the principles of Aarhus Convention on access of citizens to ecological information, justice and decision making procedures, have addressed the Presidential Administration with a proposal to organize a press-tour to territories which are under jurisdiction of the Presidential Property Management Department. Trips of journalists and representatives of nongovernmental organizations to Belovezhskaya Pushcha, «Pripyatski» National Park and Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve with the purpose of evaluating the situation on-site and creating an open dialogue were planned. 75 participants to the Meeting of the «greens» of Belarus have voted in support of press-tours. The reactions of presidential bodies are still absent.

Since a group recently visited the Pushcha it was learned that interdictions to visit the objectives from the List of World Heritage Sites have started to be imposed. Interdictions were selective, but probably only for a while. The park's administration motivates that there are undergoing works of «forest reconstruction».