Putin Approves Logging Law That Poses Risks to UNESCO-Protected Lake Baikal

President Vladimir Putin signed into law on Monday a long-disputed measure that permits limited logging along the shores of Lake Baikal, completing legislation that scientists and certain officials caution could jeopardize the ecosystem of the UNESCO-protected lake.

The new law maintains a formal ban on logging within the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Reserve, encompassing roughly 409,000 acres. However, it allows for the clearing of forests that have been assessed as having lost their ecological value, water protection capabilities, and other essential functions, as stated in the official text available online.

Additionally, the legislation enables parts of the Forest Fund within the protected area to be reclassified, potentially paving the way for new development. The Forest Fund includes all forested areas under federal jurisdiction in Russia.

Proponents of the amendments to the protective law for Lake Baikal contended that these changes are crucial for constructing roads, utilities, and basic infrastructure such as public restrooms in remote lakeside towns.

On the contrary, critics have raised alarms that these provisions could facilitate extensive clear-cutting under the pretext of sanitary logging, a practice aimed at mitigating damage caused by pests, fires, and diseases.

Opponents have also accused lawmakers of prioritizing private business interests, particularly those associated with billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who stands to gain from potential tourism and logging operations in the area.

Previously, the Natural Resources Ministry asserted that the legislation upholds the «highest protective status» for Baikal and continues to ban commercial logging, claiming that the changes are essential for enhancing safety and living conditions for local residents.

Environmental experts have expressed skepticism, warning that the use of heavy machinery, soil runoff, and a lack of transparency in the land reclassification process could inflict lasting damage on the lake’s delicate ecosystem, tipping the balance in favor of development over conservation.

The logging bill was proposed in 2023 and faced ongoing opposition from scientists, including members of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A petition opposing the bill garnered over 116,000 signatures on Change.org.

Earlier this year, UNESCO, which designated Lake Baikal as a World Heritage site in 1996, expressed concerns regarding what it referred to as the lake’s «uncertain legal protection» if the bill were to become law.