60 million hectares of forest of Russia is under the supervision of satellites

"Digital Forest" is a platform containing all mandatory documentation of various organizations of the industry and government bodies in electronic format.

Information Technology in the Forest Industry

Main article: Information technologies in the forest industry

History

2023:60 million hectares of Russian forest under satellite surveillance

Earth remote sensing satellites (remote sensing satellites) monitor 60 million hectares of forest in Russia, thanks to the beginning of September 2023, 232 cases of illegal logging with a volume of about 50.7 thousand m3 were detected. Such statistics are provided by the Federal Forestry Agency (Rosleskhoz).

As explained in the department, remote monitoring is one of the main measures for decriminalization and development of the forest complex. It is indispensable for monitoring the use of forests and the implementation of federal state forest control and protection, including the identification of illegal logging.

DZZ satellites monitor 60 million hectares of forest in Russia

Remote monitoring uses LesEGAIS data and materials from space images. The largest amount of control from space is carried out in those regions and forestries where timber harvesting and processing is actively developed, as well as facts of illegal logging of forest plantations were noted.

As the deputy head of Rosleskhoz Anastasia Vinokurova said, by September 2023, most violations were detected in the Irkutsk, Sverdlovsk, Arkhangelsk regions, as well as in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Buryatia.

I note that a particularly alarming situation is observed in Buryatia, where the volume of illegal logging according to the results of continuous monitoring amounted to about 10 thousand m3, including 1.8 thousand m3 in protective forests. Regional forest departments should take measures to preserve the ecological potential of the regions' forests, she said

According to Rosleskhoz, by September 2023, in the Eravninsky forestry, the regional forest department of the Republic of Buryatia revealed the fact of illegal logging on an area of ​ ​ 20.6 hectares with the felling of 888 larch trees in the amount of 1.2 thousand m3. The amount of harm, taking into account the littering of the logging area, amounted to 11.8 million rubles.^[1]

2020: Creation of a platform by combining LesEGAIS and remote monitoring IS Rosleskhoz

In Russia, by 2023, the Digital Forest platform will be created. It will combine forest management information systems LesEGAIS and remote monitoring IS of Rosleshoz. TAdviser was informed about this by the Ministry of Natural Resources on March 2, 2020.

As told in the department, among its current plans - model development of solutions of the Digital Forest platform in six forestries of individual Russian regions: Khabarovsk Territory, Primorsky, Zabaikalsky, the republics of Buryatia, Sakha (Yakutia) and in the Amur Region. Platform design, as of March 2, 2020, has already begun.

The Digital Forest platform, according to the concept, will contain all mandatory forest documentation in electronic format. Thus, it will make it possible to obtain prompt and reliable information on the current state of forest plots and other data so far formed on paper.

The Digital Forest platform will make it possible to obtain prompt and reliable information on the current state of forest plots and other data so far formed on paper. (photo - jour-control.ru)

In addition, the platform will allow automatically comparing the documentation of industry organizations and government bodies with project documentation.

It is assumed that after comparison, the platform will give information about possible errors and violations. Accordingly, the user will have the opportunity online to correct violations without waiting for the inspector to come and impose a fine, the Ministry of Natural Resources told TAdviser.

The platform also involves the remote provision in electronic format of state and municipal services in the field of forestry.

The project will mainly be financed from the federal budget, including those allocated for the Digital Economy national program and the Ecology national project, follows from the concept. This document, as TAdviser was told in the Ministry of Natural Resources, was developed by Rosleskhoz specialists as part of a working group, which also included experts from the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Communications, Rosreestr and Roslesinforg. The concept is being coordinated by all interested departments, after which it will be sent to the government, the Ministry of Natural Resources reported on its official website on February 12, 2020.