The 9th Taiga Rescue Network conference “Effective use of forest — Effective forest protection” will be held in the heart of boreal forests in Karelia, Russia. The conference will gather stakeholders of the world’s boreal eco-region who are interested in equitable and sustainable forest use; in effective conservation of remaining old-growth forests and global biodiversity, as well as civil participation in and democratization of forest management and decision making for the benefit of local communities.

Through multi-stakeholder discussion and presentations the conference aims to promote sustainable forestry and old growth boreal forest conservation. Through networking and discussion among participants with an interest in forestry, sustainable land use, conservation and community participation, the conference will develop new strategies for promoting socially just and environmentally sound forestry as well as conserving the world’s last old-growth boreal forests. .

Conference highlights include

* Attendees from international NGOs, paper and forest industry, local government and community groups, as well as academics and scientists
* Top keynote speakers representing the latest views of the scientific community, forest companies and civil organizations
* Multi-stakeholder panel discussions on the principles of and obstacles to sustainable forestry
* Case examples of successful and opposite attempts to combine economically and socially sound land use, particularly in Russia
* Experience for yourself one of the biggest wood suppliers of Europe, Karelia

Keynote presentations and workshops cover following topics

* Boreal forests in a changing climate
* Multiple land use as a key to sustainability?
* How much is enough?: choosing appropriate area of protected forests
* Business in transition to sustainable forest management
* Global timber flows and illegal logging

The Taiga Rescue Network Conference 2008 is hosted by Karelian nature-protection NGO “SPOK”. Taiga Rescue Network is network of more than 200 NGOs that supports local struggles and strengthens the cooperation between individuals, NGO’s and indigenous peoples and nations concerned with the protection, restoration and sustainable use of the boreal forests by means that ensure the integrity of natural processes and dynamics.

19/08/2008