More than 100 participants took part in the scientific and practical seminar “Expert and Consulting Support for Responsible Forest Management”, organized by FSC Ukraine. Among the key speakers were Associate Professor Oksana Pavlishchuk, consultant for FSC Ukraine and lecturer at the Institute of Forestry and Horticultural Management of NULES, representatives of SFE “Forests of Ukraine”, NGOs “Forest Initiatives and Society”, WWF-Ukraine, FORZA, researchers from the Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration named after G.M. Vysotsky, and representatives of certification bodies.
The seminar was aimed at strengthening expert and consulting support for responsible forest management in accordance with the FSC Forest Management Standard for Ukraine. Participants discussed the essence and importance of expert and consulting assistance in this field.
Currently, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” is the largest forest user in the country. The total area of certified forests amounts to 4.7 million hectares, 96.4% of which are managed by the State Forest Resources Agency (SFE “Forests of Ukraine”).
In the territories of Forestry Management Units that have received FSC certification, there must be rare species, high conservation value areas, and representative plots. These areas are excluded from economic use and are protected and maintained in their natural state to preserve ecosystem values.
Accordingly, research and monitoring of rare species, high conservation values (HCVs), and representative plots are among the key areas where SFE “Forests of Ukraine” engages expert support.
“In the field of forest certification, three projects were submitted this year for developing methodologies to conserve representative HCV areas. Two of these are being developed by specialists from the Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration, and one by scientists from NULES of Ukraine. These projects are extremely relevant, as they will allow adaptation of specific measures to different forest vegetation zones,”
said Halyna Domashovets, Head of the Forest Certification Sector of the Forestry Department at SFE “Forests of Ukraine”.
What do the engaged experts do during consultations and fieldwork?
✔️ Identify high conservation values, precisely delineate and map the areas where they are located.
✔️ Assess the status of rare species populations and the threats they face.
✔️ Based on identified threats, develop strategies and propose conservation and management measures.
✔️ Develop monitoring methods for the condition of identified rare species populations, habitats, and HCV areas.
✔️ Conduct practical training for certification specialists within company branches, who will serve as internal consultants for certified forest districts.
“The discussions demonstrated significant progress in recognizing the importance of developing expert and consulting environments to ensure compliance with the FSC standard in Ukraine. This activity is increasingly seen as an integral part of the systemic work of forestry professionals and of the continuous improvement of forest management systems,”
emphasized Pavlo Kravets, National Representative of FSC in Ukraine.
According to NULES researchers, such studies will help meet public expectations for maintaining a balance between environmental and economic components, and contribute to changing traditional forest management approaches.