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Table
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Overview
With 22 percent of the world's forested area (851 million hectares), Russia has the largest forest resource of any country. Russia's forests are comprised mainly of northern boreal forest, with mixed and broad-leaved forests such as birch, aspen, alder, oaks and hornbeam to the south. Coniferous species make up 80 percent of the volume of growing stock, with larch the predominant species in much of Siberia. Other important tree species are Norway spruce and Scots pine to the west, and spruces, pines and firs to the east. The country also has more than 17 million hectares of planted forests. Given the magnitude of the forest base, environmental protection and forest sustainability issues in Russia have genuine global significance. Russia's forests protect watersheds and conserve soil while providing carbon storage to help regulate the global environment. They host unique biological diversity and are home to many threatened, endangered and rare species including the Amur (Siberian) tiger, Siberian crane, Blakiston’s Fish Owl and the critically endangered Far Eastern leopard.
At the same time, Russia's forests provide 5% of export earnings and two million jobs. Maintaining a sustainable flow of renewable resources is critical to the health and economic well being of the Russian people. Attaining both goals - protecting the environment and providing a continuous flow of timber and non-timber forest products - requires careful land management over a wide range of geographic and ecosystem scales.
The federal government owns nearly all forests and other wooded lands in Russia. Recent transitions within the Russian forest sector have provided both the opportunity to implement improved forestry practices, as well as new challenges for resource managers. In January of 2007, the Russian government implemented a new Forest Code. Associated changes include provisions for long-term leases and transfer of forest management and administrative authority to regions. Most recently, Russia’s Federal Forestry Agency was transferred from the Ministry of Natural Resources to the Ministry of Agriculture. Adjusting to such large-scale changes while simultaneously working to sustainably and effectively manage the resource base will take time and effort.
Threats
to the Resource Base
Factors impeding the sustainable management of forest resources are widespread in Russia and its biologically diverse forests face several critical threats. The Siberian moth defoliates vast tracts of coniferous forests in Siberia. Fire often follows defoliation, destroying remaining stands of wood. Harvesting and management practices in accessible forests often do not meet sustainability standards and socio-economic factors impact heavily upon certain regions, leading to unregulated harvesting, encroachment, and wildlife poaching. Poor markets, lack of income generation from forest products, declining social infrastructure and the legacy of the Soviet system exacerbate these threats. In the Russian Far East, wildfire and selective logging are primary threats to the forests. In 1998, wildfire burned more than 2 million hectares of forest in the Russian Far East, resulting in the need for extensive reforestation efforts. Russian officials have identified illegal logging as an important issue negatively impacting the forest sector and have been taking steps to combat this problem through improved legislation, monitoring, and enforcement. In addition, authorities and managers are concerned about the effects of climate change and the role of boreal forests in this process.
Why
Does the US Forest Service Work in Russia?
Like the U.S., Russia contains temperate and boreal forests. The forests share similar species, similar forest health problems, and some common threats. In addition, both countries have a long history and extensive experience in forest research and management to exchange. The US Forest Service has been collaborating with Russia on research, technical cooperation, and policy issues since 1958. For over 50 years, the US and Russia have shared knowledge and expertise on sustainable forest management, fire management, ecotourism, habitat protection, pest management, illegal logging, and other topics. Since the mid-nineties, the Forest Service has worked with Russian partners on a broad range of cooperative programs funded by the US Agency for International Development, US Forest Service, and the Russian government. The U.S. and Russia have been collaborating to: 1) promote sustainable natural resource management practices, 2) address forest health issues and invasive species, 3) conserve biodiversity, and 4) expand successful programs into other areas in Russia. Through a series of training workshops, exchanges, and demonstration projects, both countries have the opportunity to learn from each other's experiences and technical approaches in an effort to improve natural resource management around the world.
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US Forest Service - Russia Federal Forestry Agency Working Group
Overview
In 2005, USFS reinitiated a bilateral forestry working group with the Russian Federal Forestry Agency (FFA). Through this mechanism, USFS and FFA have continued to collaborate on mutually important themes such as: forest inventory and monitoring, voluntary forest certification, wildfire management, illegal logging, climate change, and others. A few examples of collaborative efforts between our agencies are described below.
Wildfire Management
Fire is a topic of continued concern for Russian and U.S. resource managers. Both countries face increasing fires and associated challenges. Recent changes, such as the decentralization process, have further complicated fire management efforts across regional boundaries in Russia. US Forest Service specialists have been collaborating with Russian counterparts on fire-related topics for a number of years; smokejumper exchanges began in the 1970s, while more comprehensive collaboration in wildfire management expanded in the early 1990s. Numerous exchanges, workshops, and study tours have taken place, resulting in the transfer of fire-related technology and information.
Through past collaborative efforts with partners in the Russian Far East, US Forest Service specialists have provided assistance with the development of a fire coordination center in Khabarovsk, provision of fire equipment specifications, and fire management planning. In 2008, the US Forest Service hosted a delegation from FFA and ‘Avialesookhrana,’ Russia’s aerial fire service, to meet with a variety of units and facilities involved in wildfire management in California. The goal of the exchange was to provide a clear understanding the extent of fire management in the US at national, regional and local levels and exchange current priorities and methodologies in both countries, US Forest Service continues to collaborate with Russia in fire-related areas such as firefighter training, national policy, budgeting and finance, and organization.
Forest Inventory and Monitoring
Russia is in the process of restructuring their National Forest Inventory system and is developing and piloting new strategies for forest inventory and monitoring. FFA requested input from forestry agencies in several countries, including the U.S., to inform this process. USFS Forest Service and FFA specialists have engaged in ongoing discussions to investigate which approaches and systems from the U.S. and around the world might be most useful to the Russian context. In addition, USFS hosted a delegation from FFA to the US to meet with specialists from a variety of U.S. Forest Service units in an effort to gain a better understanding of forest monitoring and inventory programs, remote sensing and GIS applications, and training centers in the U.S. In October, 2008, the U.S. Forest Service participated in a roundtable of international experts in Russia entitled, ‘National Forest Inventory of the Russian Federation in the Context of International Experience in Forest Inventory.’
Forest Certification
Russia is in the process of developing a system for forest certification in an effort to ensure sustainable resource management, improve efficiency, and gain access to emerging markets for certified timber products. In 2007, the US Forest Service hosted a Russian delegation to explore how independent forest certification can be applied on public and private lands in the U.S. and around the world. This study tour allowed Russian policy and decision makers to exchange information and ideas with leaders in forest policy and land management from USFS, state agencies, academia and the private sector to explore issues associated with seeking certification on forest lands that they manage.
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Illegal Logging
Overview
Illegal logging is a significant problem for many countries in Europe and Northern Asia, including Russia. Estimates for the volume of illegal logging in Russia range as high as 20% of the total volume of legally sourced timber, which significantly impacts the country’s economy. Russia has recently taken several steps to address this problem including hosting the Europe and North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENA-FLEG) Ministerial Conference in 2005 and adopting a National Action Plan for preventing illegal logging and associated trade. In addition, combating illegal logging through sustainable forestry practices was identified as a priority direction for collaboration between the US Forest Service and the Russian Federal Forestry Agency. Further progress in Russia will require the availability of accurate and transparent data, clear legislation and policies, strong capacity for enforcement, and the promotion of greater cross-border cooperation.
Promoting Sustainable Trade and Investment along the Sino-Russian Border
In cooperation with the US State Department, USAID, and US and Russian non-governmental organizations, the US Forest Service sponsored two workshops in Russia and China with the goal of promoting trans-boundary cooperation to address the problem of illegal logging.
The first workshop, organized by Forest Trends and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with additional support from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), was held in Borduguz, Russia near Lake Baikal in August 2006. The second, Consulting and Training Conference on Policies Concerning Sino-Russian Forest Resource Exploitation and Timber Processing Investment, was held in Beijing in March, 2008 and hosted by China’s State Forest Administration, Forest Trends, Chinawood and the World Wildlife Fund.
These meetings brought together Russian, Chinese and international leaders representing business, international investment, government, environment and academia to discuss Sino-Russian forest product trade and the long-term impact on the economy, environment and society on both sides of the border. The goal was to identify how responsible trade and investment policies can foster sustainable forest sector development in both Russia and China while positively contributing to local economies and livelihoods. These workshops allowed government and business representatives from Russia and China an opportunity to become familiar with “best practices” for companies to promote legal and sustainable timber harvesting, improve their understanding of the changing forest laws relevant to trans-boundary timber trade, and engage in open dialogue about the challenges of sustainable forest development.
The U.S. Forest Service plans to continue working with government, non-government, academic, and private-sector partners to exchange best practices that promote legal sourcing of timber.
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Krasnoyarsk Partnership Program
Overview
Krasnoyarsk Krai is Russia’s second largest region, holding 234 million hectares (13% of Russia’s land) and producing roughly 20% of Russia’s timber for exports. With Russia’s new Forest Code, implemented in January of 2007, regional authorities – including the Krasnoyarsk Krai Regional Government (KKG) - received increased responsibility for management and administrative functions in the forest sector. The KKG began moving forward with designing and implementing policies and practices to develop and manage the region’s forests.
USFS has been collaborating with partners in the Krasnoyarsk Krai since the early 1990’s, first through the USAID-funded Central Siberial Sustainability Project (1993-2005), and currently through the Krasnoyarsk Partnership Program, a regional development partnership initiated in 2006 between USAID and KKG that includes a component on forest sector development. Through this partnership, the US Forest Service began working with USAID, the KKG, and several Russian implementing partners to collaborate on several activities aimed at sustainably developing the region’s forest resources. Project components include: Timber tracking; voluntary forest certification; forest roads planning and management; forest planning; biomass utilization; biofuel; and fire prevention. In 2008, partners proposed to add an eighth component on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Several activities have taken place since 2006. In 2007, a team of USFS specialists worked with KKG officials and regional specialists to assess a particular rail terminal and develop a pilot log tracking system using components from the U.S. system. In July 2008, a team of USFS specialists traveled to Krasnoyarsk to exchange best management practices for roads planning and management with specialists from the Sukachev Institute of Forestry. Collaboration within this partnership is currently focusing on the forest roads, biomass, and biofuel components.
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Habitat Management in the Russian Far East
Overview
Primorsky Krai, or Primorye, is a biologically rich temperate forest zone in the Russian Far East (RFE). It has a unique mix of northern temperate and boreal species such as the brown bear, Eurasian lynx and red deer as well as southern tropical species such as the Asiatic black bear, leopard cats and sika deer. The region hosts over a hundred endangered terrestrial species, of which at least 48 are endemic to Russia, as well as numerous threatened species. The conservation of this unique ecosystem is of global importance.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has targeted the Far Eastern leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) and Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) as key umbrella species in the region. Habitat conservation for these animals, which are dependent on large tracts of intact forest ecosystem, benefits associated species and biodiversity in the region. The Blakiston’s fish owl (Bubo blakistoni) is another species of interest. The US Forest Service continues to exchange information and methodologies with Russian scientists, managers, and students on a variety of wildlife-related topics to support conservation and capacity building efforts and ensure the sustainable management of forests and wildlife habitat in the RFE.
Amur (Siberian) Tiger
The Siberian, or Amur, tiger is perhaps the most critically endangered of all tiger subspecies. Approximately 500 remain in the RFE. Although numbers have gone up slightly in recent years, the Siberian tiger continues to face serious threats such as poaching and habitat fragmentation. In addition, intense logging in the region has led to the near disappearance of native Korean pine, a species that is integrally important to the health and size of the tiger population. In addition to providing habitat for the tiger, this pine species produces nuts that are a vital food source for elk, deer and boar, the chief prey of the Siberian tiger. As suitable habitat for tigers and their prey has disappeared or fragmented into a few isolated parcels, the Siberian Tiger has been forced to the brink of extinction. Currently, about 84 percent of the Amur tigers in Russia are found in Primorski Krai. A small isolated population is found in the southwest part of the region, together with the highly endangered Far Eastern leopard; therefore, conservation of this forest tract is of particular importance.
US Forest Service specialists have worked with a team of experts from Russia to study tiger populations and ecology and build a tiger conservation program. From 2001 to 2004, the US Forest Service supported research on population dynamics of Siberian tiger prey populations such as wild boar (Sus scrofa) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in conjunction with scientists from Russia's Sikhote Alin Nature Reserve, Wildlife Conservation Society, and University of Wyoming’s Department of Zoology and Physiology. This effort significantly improved understanding of prey populations in the central portion of the Siberian tiger’s range and lead to several joint publications. The collaboration also strengthened relationships between Russian and American scientists and further developed scientifically based tiger conservation.
The US Forest Service continues to support efforts to better understand Siberian tiger populations and habitat needs and provide training to build the capacity of young scientists working on this species.
Far Eastern Leopard
The Far Eastern leopard, Panthera pardus orientalis, is the rarest felid in the world. They are found exclusively in southwest Primorye, with only about 30 individuals remaining in the wild. Continuing threats include poaching, over-hunting, and habitat fragmentation and degradation through human encroachment. Both the Far Eastern leopard and Amur tiger prefer mature forest growth; they avoid open fields and populated areas. Due to the secretive nature of these animals, they will retreat into the forest to avoid contact with humans or competition with tigers. Additional threats include inbreeding depression, disease, prey depletion, and fire. In addition, a shortage of young wildlife biologists and conservationists in the RFE has implications for natural resource conservation in the region.
Currently, the US Forest Service is supporting efforts by WCS and Russia partners to improve the habitat of the Far Eastern leopard and to build conservation capacity in the RFE. Fire is a pressing issue that is contributing to habitat degradation and is closely tied to human presence in the area. US Forest Service specialists are sharing technical expertise in fire planning, prevention, suppression, and rehabilitation to enhance the efforts of local organizations to mitigate fire effects on the Far Eastern leopard. If the population remains healthy, habitat restoration could aid in the recovery of this species by providing greater living and hunting territory.
Blakiston's Fish Owl
The US Forest Service has also been helping to conserve what many scientists believe may be the largest owl in the world. A secretive species, the endangered Blakiston’s Fish owl resides within remote, old growth, riparian forests in Northeast Asia, including the RFE. Increasing pressures from logging interests and development in the region threaten the owl’s habitat. Less than 1,000 pairs are thought to remain in the wild. A large percentage of these owls live outside protected areas, therefore cooperation with local communities is critical to protecting this species.
To conserve the Blakiston’s Fish Owl, a sound understanding of the bird’s biology and habitat is necessary. The US Forest Service has been collaborating with the Wildlife Conservation Society on the Blakiston’s Fish Owl Project, which focuses on collecting baseline data on the fish owl in the RFE, raising awareness about this species locally and internationally, and developing conservation recommendations to protect habitat and minimize disturbance effects.
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Protected Area Management
Overview
Russia has one of the oldest and most extensive protected area networks in the world. These protected areas range from strictly protected reserves, or “zapovedniki,” to national parks, national monuments, wildlife reserves, and various other categories. The Russian federal zapovednik system was established in 1917 and the national park system in the 1980’s. Historically, zapovedniki emphasized research and excluded human visitation and economic activity. Due to decreased government funding and ongoing economic transition in Russia, protected area managers have found it increasingly difficult to maintain programs and personnel. They have expressed a need for personnel training and capacity building if their lands are to be adequately managed and have been seeking ways to achieve this. In addition, environmental education and ecotourism programs have increasingly been incorporated into protected area strategies. USFS has been working with US and Russian partners from academia, government, and non-governmental organizations to build capacity of Russian protected area managers in a variety of management areas including planning, adaptive management, ranger training, interpretation, trail building, and others.
Kamchatka Protected Area Management Training
Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula is home to some of the world’s most unique natural territories. With its extensive system of regional, national and international protected areas, Kamchatka represents a unique opportunity to share Russian and international experience and management approaches for protected areas (PAs) of various statuses. The peninsula’s protected areas also have the potential to serve as models for development of successful PA management programs in other regions.
In February 2007, USFS collaborated with the Consortium for International Protected Area Management (CIPAM), Wild Salmon Center (WSC), the United Nations Development (UNDP) Program’s Project, “Demonstrating Sustainable Conservation of Biological Diversity in Four Protected Areas of Russia's Kamchatka Oblast,” Ecocenter Zapovedniks, and other Russian partners and specialists to develop a joint training program to share international experience and knowledge on protected area management and training. The goal of this cooperative activity was to support and facilitate the creation of a long-term, sustainable capacity building program for PA managers on Kamchatka that is based on best practices and methodologies for protected area management. This seminar resulted in a program of future training activities, as well as improved connections and relationships between partners. USFS has contributed to several workshops and activities in Kamchatka since 2007; through these activities, USFS has provided training and information on topics such as ranger training, US public land management, first aid and safety, wilderness values and ethics, conflict management, volunteer services, community involvement, trail building and management, and others.
Kamchatka Visitor Survey
USFS worked in cooperation with the UNDP/GEF Project “Kamchatka Biodiversity Conservation,” the Kamchatka Regional Tourism Agency, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Industry and Investment of the Kamchatka Region, Bureau of Land Management, the Universities of Northern Arizona and Alaska, and other Russian and international partners to conduct a survey of visitors to Kamchatka. The goals of this one year project were to assess ecotourism values and experiences of visitors to Kamchatka and to provide information and data to interested stakeholders with the intention of enhancing tourism, recreation and protected area management in the region.
This survey was a unique effort in Russia. Visitors were surveyed in the Yelizovo airport about their visit to Kamchatka and the region’s protected areas. Data were analyzed by a team of U.S. experts; preliminary results showed keen interest from Russian and international visitors in tourism in Kamchatka. Results of the program were presented in Petropavlosk-Kamchatsky and Yelizovo in the fall of 2008 and distributed through a final report, with positive reception from regional authorities.
Kamchatka Salmon Habitat Conservation
Kamchatka produces approximately 25% of wild Pacific salmon. Oil and gas development and poaching for caviar pose significant threats to this resource. Protected area management on Kamchatka provides an opportunity to protect pristine habitat for salmon populations, and associated economic benefit to local populations. USFS is collaborating with the Wild Salmon Center and other Russian partners in their efforts to ensure the effective management of established salmon protected areas on Kamchatka, including the Kol River Salmon Refuge, established in 2006. Goals for the partnership include ensuring a conservation plan that utilizes adaptive management approaches, gathering support from local or regional stakeholders, ensuring available human and financial resources, and developing and implementing effective monitoring plans.
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Sakhalin Salmon
Overview
Sakhalin Island, the largest island in the Russian Federation, is situated a short distance across the Mamiya Strait from the mainland in the RFE. Dense coniferous forests cover the island and are home to numerous wildlife species. Whales, sea-lions, seals, and dolphins can be found along the sea coast. Sakhalin Island and the RFE provide important habitat for over 90 species of fish; seven species on Sakhalin are currently listed as endangered, and an additional 20 have been recommended for listing. At least 10 salmonid species inhabit the waters in and around Sakhalin. Salmon have long been important to the survival of indigenous communities on the island. Commercial fishing plays an integral role in Sakhalin's economy and employment opportunities; fishery resources also represent an opportunity for ecotourism development. In addition to direct pressures to Sakhalin's fish such as poaching and over-harvesting, historic and ongoing habitat destruction represents an increasing threat to these resources.
Sakhalin Salmon Initiative
The Sakhalin Salmon Initiative (SSI) promotes sustainable use of wild salmon and their habitat. Through SSI, partners are working to build capacity for conservation initiatives and ensure the sustainable development of Sakhalin’s resources. This public-private partnership, with participation from the government, private sector, local communities, and Russian and international NGOs, is managed by the SSI Center and overseen by a Coordinating Committee.
The US Forest Service is contributing to the Sakhalin Salmon Initiative and Sakhalin Salmon Restoration Partnership, which seeks to increase local capacity for watershed restoration, through collaboration with the Wild Salmon Center (WSC) and Russian partners. Since 2005, several USFS teams have traveled to Sakhalin to exchange information, provide training, and cultivate relationships in the region. US Forest Service specialists have shared experience gained in the Pacific northwest to contribute to planning efforts, monitoring programs, restoration initiatives, establishment of local watershed councils, development of education and outreach projects, and training workshops. Activities promote conservation and sustainable use of wild salmon and their ecosystems, build institutional capacity for conservation, and promote education and sustainable economic development on Sakhalin Island.
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Ecotourism and Watershed Management in Lake Baikal
Overview
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, Lake Baikal is the world’s deepest, oldest, and largest (by volume) freshwater lake. Lake Baikal is situated in south-central Siberia between the Irkutsk Oblast and Buryat Republic. The lake is home to over 1,000 plant species and 1,500 animal species, 80% of which are endemic -- including a freshwater seal, or ‘nerpa.’ Lake Baikal and its shores are protected through a number of specially designated territories, including Barguzin Zapovednik, created in 1916 to preserve the Barguzin Sable (Martes zibellina).
The development of ecotourism opportunities has been identified as a priority by authorities around Lake Baikal. The US Forest Service has been working with US and Russian-based non-governmental organizations and regional authorities to promote the development of sustainable ecotourism at Lake Baikal and to improve local capacity for resource management. US Forest Service contributions build upon expertise and lessons learned within the Lake Tahoe watershed in California and Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, and other important watersheds and forest units in the United States.
The US Forest Service collaborates with the Great Baikal Trail (GBT) Association in their efforts to promote sustainable ecotourism and enhance recreation opportunities in the Baikal region, including a project to build a 1,500-mile trail around the lake. This trail will connect more than six protected areas around Lake Baikal, offering tremendous opportunities for low-impact tourism. Over the past five years, GBT has built nearly 400 km of trail around the lake in projects involving more than 1,000 Russian and international volunteers. Through this partnership, USFS has hosted experts from Lake Baikal to learn from local specialists, work on trail crews and attend seminars on trail building and protected area management. USFS specialists and teams have also traveled to Lake Baikal to participate in trail building exchanges; provide training on trail planning, building, and maintenance; help prioritize future projects; enhance safety procedures; and share approaches to nature interpretation.
The U.S. Forest Service also works with the Tahoe Baikal Institute to improve watershed management and conservation education in the Baikal region. In 2004, Specialists from the US, Russia, and Mongolia participated in a workshop in Lake Tahoe to exchange information on policy development, watershed management, pollution, and other topics relevant to the Selenga watershed, Baikal’s main tributary. In recent years, USFS specialists have contributed to training workshops on fire and watershed management in the Lake Baikal Region. USFS is currently collaborating with TBI to organize a series of workshops and sessions in the Baikal Region focused on planning for a Forestry Agency – Community engagement annual event. This program seeks to assist agency professionals and community members in planning and implementing an annual, forestry-related community event that increases engagement between agencies and the community and provides educational and participatory opportunities to the public. The activities highlight successful models of agency-community collaboration from the U.S., including “Forest Stewardship Day” and the “Kokanee Salmon Festival.”
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Past Projects
Central Siberia Sustainability Project
Despite threats to forests in Central Siberia from insects, disease, wildfire, and over cutting, an economic assessment conducted by Pan Atlantic Consultants in 2000 indicated that sustainable forest management was possible in the region. There were excellent forest resources, knowledgeable and dedicated forestry professionals and a demand for wood products from European and Pacific Rim countries and China.
The Central Siberia Sustainability Project (1993-2005) contributed to ensuring a sustainable future for the forests and people of Siberia. This project focused on many elements of sustainable forest management: data collection and management, including Geographic Information Systems; forest harvest methods and equipment; reforestation and stand improvement; and, significantly, assisting development of some of the first government-authorized and endorsed prescribed burning efforts in Russia.
In terms of actual changes in on-the-ground management resulting from this project, the prescribed burning program was likely the most successful. A large number of hectares were burned for both hazard reduction and site preparation in a variety of conditions. This included prescribed burning in young, thinned pine stands around communities to reduce the threat of wildfire.
The U.S. team also assisted with other related programs including development of forest management regulations, restoration of insect-devastated forests, and development and implementation of projects funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development's Replication of Lessons Learned (ROLL), and Forest Resources and Technology (FOREST) programs.
The Central Siberia Sustainability Project developed a sustainable resource management plan for a portion of the Bolshaya Murta Leshoz, a site similar to a national forest in the USA. Lesproekt, which had historically been the organization responsible for completing forest management plans for Leshozi every 10 years, worked in partnership with the Bolshaya Murta Leshoz and the Sukachev Institute of Forest Research to complete a sustainable resource management plan that incorporated ecological, social and economic factors, all of which were key to sustainability. The intent was to develop a plan that considered all resources and could be used as a model for planning in other parts of the Krai and across Russia.
In 2005, US Forest Service provided support for the writing and publication of a book, Regional Problems in Ecosystem Management, that summarized the project results, so that information gained through project activities could be widely available and replicated. In addition, US Forest Service fielded a team to Siberia in the fall of 2005 to further project activities and check on progress that had been made in previous collaborations. The project enjoyed many success stories including innovative approaches to watershed management and conservation, vast improvements in forest management, and the establishment of new partnerships and networking not only between Russian and American partners but among various Russian agencies as well.
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