The National FSC office in Ukraine is opened in the University
On July 15, on the territory of the 1st academic building, under a tree of a well-known forester Academician Petro Pogrebniak a representative office of the National Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in Ukraine was opened. The ceremony was attended by the rector of the University Stanislav Nikolaenko, scientists of TSI of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, representatives of FSC global network and its regional office.
Opening the event, director of the National Mission in Ukraine, assistant professor of forest management Pavlo Kravets noted: the Kyiv office, which was decided to place in NULES, will become the second in the post-soviet space. It will represent FSC among stakeholders and public authorities, facilitating the development of certification and formation of national and international membership in the country. The national FSC opens new opportunities for sustainable development of the timber industry and the country as a whole.
Over the past year a significant development of forest certification has been marked in Ukraine, certified forest area has doubled and reached 3.147 million hectares - 30% of the country's forest fund. In addition, 78 wood processing and wood trade companies have gone through the procedures of verification and certification of products origin from certified forests and were FSC-certified of the supply chain. Significant progress is visible at a global level as well – for the last year Ukraine, among 80 countries of the world, joined the top 10: 2nd places for increasing the number of certificates of forest management and supply chain.
Welcoming those present, Stanislav Nikolaenko pointed out all the pleasure that such representation was opened on the basis of TSI of Forestry and Landscape Architecture of NULES. This is no accident, because it constantly keeps expanding international relations. Today a work is being done on 49 international projects, 150 cooperation agreements have been signed. The University works in areas that cover many sectors, including silviculture. It is a research university. And this international cooperation is the very mirror in which we see ourselves, our advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, its expansion is a strategic line of the university, Stanislav Nikolaenko underlined.
Let us remind that it is our university instructors that in 2003, took the initiative to develop standards of forest management under the FSC scheme. And in 2012, the Boyarka Forestry Experimental Station, the first in the CIS, obtained its certificate.
Director of the FSC GD Global Network Hemma Botekis, who visited Ukraine for the second time, said that she was very happy about this cooperation. Usually there are three forest interests: economic – with the companies selling timber and operate it, the second – with the people living in it, and the third - the importance of biodiversity conservation. To combine them and work harmoniously is a mission of FSC, says Mrs. Botekis. Another factor of interest in Ukraine is its abnormally rapid growth towards forest certification. Therefore FSC has signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine. In addition, one of the points of association with the EU is just making legal forest products. It means that forest certification in Ukraine will move further.
Hemma Botekis expressed her special gratitude to a man, without whom today's event would not have been possible – NULES rector Stanislav Nikolaenko. And she noticed: more certified products will make Ukraine stronger in international markets.
In his greeting speech, the head of the department of the State Agency of Forest Resources Volodymyr Romanovskyi noted: forestry in Ukraine has good traditions, is conducted properly and has good prospects. So we should not stop, since much work should be done: 70% of forests have not been certified yet.
Iryna Bilous, Denys Ruden
