Mari El Forestry
Brief Forestry History
During rule of Peter the Great (1682- 1725) the main legal act about forestry was concerned with state ownership on forests suitable for shipbuilding
Forest owners lost their right in their own forests, to harvest what was suitable for Naval use
In 1703 a law was passed which ordered them to describe all forest within 50 km of large rivers and 20 km from small rivers
They were prohibited from cutting oak, maple, elm, larch and pine 53 cm or more, thick
With 19th century came an economic explosion in the European part of Russia. Railroad network construction and the building of new towns needed significant amounts of timber
Numerous products including masts, shipbuilding timber and resin were exported to other European countries on a large scale
The intensive use of timber from forests in Mari El during the post war years quickly helped to restore the national economy but resulted in many overcuts
During 1918-1992, forest management in Mari El was based on state ownership of forest. All management and control was under ministers of the Soviet Union
Reduction of cutting age and permission to overcut were possible
The Basic forest law of the Russian Federation was introduced and signed by the President in 1997
Forestry Economics
Mari El Forests at one time, played played a significant role in the Mari El economy. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, many business' dependant on forestry were forced to close for economic reasons
In Mari El, the dominant tree species are pine (Pinus sylvestris), birch (Betula pendula and B. pubescens), spruce (Picea abies and P. abovata), and aspen (Populus tremula). Oak (Quercus robur), although present, is not so widespread as other species
The main harvest from the forest now, is round wood and is for use outside the Republic
The main products from forestry and pulp/paper industry in 1999 were:
Sawn timber - 324 thousand m3
Fiberboard - 5 mln m2
Pulp - 20 ton
Paper - 15 ton
Cardboard - 4 ton
Garden houses - 98 items
Skis - 83 thousand pairs
Furniture: tables - 17 000, chairs - 53 000, cupboards -27 000, sofas - 400, beds- 16000
Non-wood products
Many other products are available in the forests and could be of substantial economic importance for the Mari El economy
Under Russian forest legislation the harvesting of gum, resin, stumps, bark, twigs, hay, tree saps, wild fruits, mushrooms and berries are all allowed
The resources are mature and overmature stands of Scotch pine and spruce selected for final or regeneration felling
Due to the economic transition, this type of production currently has almost ceased
The most popular tree sap in Russia is birch sap. There is big potential for sap tapping, but production of sap has all but vanished now
Over 1, 000 species of plants with medicinal properties grow in Mari El forests. 600 of them could be used by the pharmaceutical industry but only about 200 species are currently harvested
The Mari El forests are rich in edible mushrooms. Many people from both within and outside of Mari El, go into the forests during the mushroom season, gathering various kinds of edible mushrooms
For many there is a good income from the sale of mushrooms in the market, to restaurants and grocery shops
Also they dry out and bottle the mushrooms for the winter months and this can be used as food or commodity
The most popular berries in republic are cowberry, cranberry, raspberry, and bilberry
Summer and beginning of autumn is the period for gathering these berries
Mari El forests are the main habitats of many valuable game species
Special game management units have been established
Tourism in the Forests
Many books and stories relate to the forest
Most Mari's in the 18-century believed in paganism. Many of their pagan deities were from within the deep forest. Even today in some ritual places like big trees and forest groves, you sometimes find people who practice Paganism and heed to Nature
Recreation is fast becoming popular among the people of Mari El. Many of those who can't travel outside of the republic spend their summer in the forest camps and parks near big lakes like Yalchik, Shap, Gluhoe or Crucian
The parks are now facing increasing pressure from tourists of the nearby towns Kazan and Yoshkar-Ola
Each year thousands of people visit the beautiful lakes and forests of this national park. Soil erosion, littering and waste dumping and high risk of fire are major problems
A fee has been set for entry to the park but it is difficult to enforcesince it is difficult to regulate entry into this vast area. Inadequate manpower and lack of fencing at entry points makes it almost impossible to enforce
Mari Chodra National Park
Mari Chodra National Park on Maple Mountain (Klenovaya Gora) is an interesting natural area. The Klenovaya Gora health center is located here, as well as popular tourist spots like Green Spring (Zeleny Klyuch) and Yalchik, Mashiner, Glukhoe, and Konaner lakes
The Ilet, Yushut, and Petyalka rivers flow through the park
An ancient oak, known as the Pugachevsky oak, is preserved here
According to tradition, Emelyan Pugachev [Cossack leader of a rebellion against the authorities in 1773] and his troops camped for the night under this oak
The oak stands out from the rest because of its sheer size
This enormous tree with a 159 cm diameter trunk, reaches into the upper layer of the forest canopy. The Pugachevsky oak itself is a precious natural monument
