Companies propose easing construction restrictions in Russia’s protected forests

The business community has sent relevant requests to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Economic Development. The appeal “Opora Rossii” states that the current bans are hindering the implementation of 260 projects worth more than 300 billion rubles in total.

Among the proposals is permission to build hotels in protected forests and to transfer such areas to recreational areas for recreation.

The authorities are actively developing domestic tourism, and revenues in this area are increasing by 30% annually. According to Opora Rossii, the proposed changes can make investments in tourism infrastructure even more attractive for entrepreneurs.

At the same time, environmentalists stress that such measures can lead to deforestation, soil erosion and other environmental problems. For example, protective mountain forests provide stability to the landscape, and their felling can lead to landslides and floods.

Experts believe that tourism development should be carried out within the framework of the environmental agenda in order to minimise the negative impact on nature.

• According to the Forest Code, protective forests include particularly valuable forests, for which a special “regime of use, protection, and reproduction” is established.
• In February 2024, a draft law removing a number of restrictions on forestry legislation was published for public discussion on the federal portal of regulatory legal acts, but has not yet been submitted to the State Duma.