International workshop meeting :GAP-Analysis and regional Red Data Books in the conservation of landscape and biological diversity in the Northwest Russia (Vologda, Vologda State Pedagogical University, 21 – 25 October 2002)

The seminar was organised by the Finnish Environment Institute, Finland; the Directorate of Nature Management, Norway; the Regional Council of Västerbotten, Sweden, and the Vologda State Pedagogical University.

Thirty six representatives of governmental and non-governmental environmental organisations from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Karelia, Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Murmansk and Leningrad regions participated in the seminar (List of participants, see appendix 1 ).

The programme of the seminar included discussion on preparatory issues for the GAP analysis of the special nature protected areas network in the Northwest Russia. The participants provided information on the upcoming regional Red Data Books of Endangered Species against the background of new IUCN criteria (1994). The project coordinators and leading Russian, Finnish and Norwegian Red Data Book experts presented their reviews of the GAP project at the plenary session of the seminar. This was followed by three workshops on Tuesday afternoon, and morning and afternoon sessions on Wednesday. The workshops included a number of prepared reports and a roundtable discussion. The results of the discussions are described in the Resolution adopted by the seminar ( appendix 2 ).

The international training seminar discussed the objectives of the GAP analysis project ( appendix 3 ). The landscape approach was reiterated as being a major method for evaluating the layout of the nature protected areas in the Northwest Russia. Special attention should be given to the remaining virgin forests. The preparatory coordinators of the project (Finnish Environment Institute and the Biological Institute of Saint-Petersburg State University) backed by the project working group of 21 members were given the task to produce, by March 1st, a feasibility study in compliance with the European standards for international financing applications.

The participants of the seminar appealed to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russian Federation to speed up the official endorsement of the GAP analysis preliminary project plan adopted by the Expert council of the North-western Department of Natural resources on 22 April 2002 and presented to the Ministry in June 2002.

Regional Red Data Books were discussed as an integral part of the GAP analysis project. The international training seminar asked Department of the state control and perspective development in the field of nature management and environmental protection in Northwest Russia Federal District to create a committee or a working group on Red Data Books with representation from all constituencies of the Northwest Federal Region.

The seminar programme ended with an excursion to the “Russian North” National Park and to the Kirillov-Belozersky Monastery.

The participants of the seminar expressed their gratitude to the Finnish Environment Institute, Directorate of Nature Management, Norway, the Regional Council of Västerbotten, Sweden for financial support, and to Vologda State Pedagogical University for hosting the international training seminar on GAP analysis and regional Red Books of Endangered Species for landscape and biodiversity conservation in Northwest Russia.

Jevgeni Jakovlev
Finnish Environment Institute

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