Illegal logging

• more than 20 million m³ a year of logging sanctioned by official permits, but in gross violation of forestry regulations 18

According to WWF Russia and the World Bank, 20 per cent of logging (35 million m³) is illegal, resulting in a total budget loss of between 13 billion and 30 billion rubles. 17 Greenpeace Russia has estimated that at least 25 per cent of annual official logging, or 50 million m³, is illegal. This includes: • approximately 20 million m³ a year of logging by private individuals for their own use (home heating, stockpiling for construction and maintenance) • some 10 million m³ of illegal logging by individuals and businesses for sale or processing

Differences between estimates are due, in part, to a lack of clear definition of the term ‘illegal logging’ and weaknesses in assessment methods. For instance, official estimates are often based on satellite data for clear-felling outside of designated areas and clear-felling areas of considerable size without permits, thus likely disregarding other types of illegal logging (including selective logging in smaller areas or the sale of timber from areas damaged by forest fires).

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