Allies! Very soon, the draft law on clear-cutting ancient forests around Lake Baikal and dividing protected lands among the wealthy may be adopted. Lobbyists for the exploitation of Baikal are planning to push the project through completely this autumn.
We are now carrying out large-scale public work against this madness. Let me remind you that we have the entire academic community, scientists, and experts at all levels on our side, as well as a strong bloc of allies within the government. However, it seems that nothing can stop the insane destruction of Baikal — the pressure is too great.
Over the past month, we have been running a nationwide flashmob in defense of Baikal — a huge number of people from all over the country are joining us. This helps show unity in the cause of protecting Baikal and demonstrates genuine public support. Only with strong public resonance — a “ground-level demand” — can our allies within the government work to have the draft law withdrawn from consideration.
Our public initiative, as a coordination center, has already gathered over 30,000 signatures! We are visible, our position is being heard at all levels of power, and we are not allowing the issue to be silenced. Tremendous work, allies! Even in such difficult times, we are showing incredible results.
The Next Step.
On the eve of the possible adoption of the draft law, it is important to send official requests to the government — to show that there are many of us and that society demands the withdrawal of this project. Even if you receive a formal reply, remember that the system registers and sees your message, and with strong support “from the ground,” the common position of society will be recorded. Most importantly, using this public resonance, our allies in the Civic Chamber and across the government structure will be able to defend Baikal.
Baikal must remain a refuge for wildlife! Its industrial development is unacceptable, and even more unacceptable is the transfer of protected lands into private business hands.
What to do?
First.
Write your own message to the government explaining why this draft law must not be passed, and state clearly that you oppose this madness! A sample text is provided below, but please do not copy it word for word — write in your own words. It should not look like spam — only real opinions from real people.
I strongly oppose draft law No. 387 575-8 “On Amendments to Article 25-1 of the Federal Law ‘On the Protection of Lake Baikal’ and Article 11 of the Federal Law ‘On Environmental Expertise.’” The current version allows clear sanitary logging and the reclassification of forest lands for road and tourist infrastructure construction within Baikal’s Central Ecological Zone. This creates a direct incentive for arson and illegal logging (in Russia, around 19 million m³ of forest were illegally cut under the guise of “sanitary logging” between 2016–2019) and threatens ecosystem fragmentation. On 9 million hectares of protected land around the lake, only about 6.8 thousand hectares of forest were officially affected.
I demand a complete prohibition of any clear-cutting within the Baikal Natural Territory and the rejection of the current draft law. Instead, I urge consideration of science-based alternatives: selective sanitary measures without commercial timber removal, collection of fallen wood, fire prevention, and restoration of damaged areas through natural regeneration. Infrastructure decisions should be made only after official environmental assessments and the conclusions of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Preserving the full ban on clear-cutting is a vital step to protect Baikal’s unique ecosystems and uphold Russia’s international environmental commitments.
Second.
Send your message to the government authorities using the links below.
President of the Russian Federation
Chairman of the State Duma V. V. Volodin
State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources, and Environmental Protection (Chairman — D. N. Kobylkin)
Government of the Russian Federation
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation
Third.
Publish a post on social media with your message, so everything remains open and public! You may also tag official accounts of the relevant ministries on VKontakte or Telegram. This amplifies the public demand and brings the issue into search engine visibility — no appeal should remain “silent.” Only openly and publicly!
How else can you help?
We are now doing everything possible to protect Baikal. Environmental organizations, scientists, and officials are also fighting! There are many of us — but the forces wishing to destroy Baikal are also immense.
You can join the nationwide flashmob in defense of Baikal, share materials regularly, and encourage friends and family to take part. All of this strengthens our position in the struggle for the Pearl of Siberia! You can also study the draft law itself to understand what it proposes and why it is dangerous for nature.
- Our public initiative to protect Baikal
- Study the draft law on clear-cutting in Baikal
- Join the public flashmob
The main thing — do not stay silent and do not allow this issue to be buried.
Act now! We cannot do it without you!
© PAVEL PASHKOV
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