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25 March 2002
Greenpeace sawmill action warns of Russian forest destruction
Archangelsk, Russia - Most of the timber that passes through
the Solombalski sawmill (SLDK) comes from one of Europe's largest
remaining pristine forests.
 Greenpeace
activists chose this sawmill in the Russian port of Archangelsk
in the White Sea to protest Russian forest destruction. This morning
activists climbed onto the sawmill's roof and chained themselves
to its front gates. They unfurled German and Russian banners that
said, "Take responsibility: Save the ancient forests."
The Solombalski Sawmill processes timber derived mainly from
the Dvinsky ancient forest. The Dvinsky stretches over 1.5 million
hectares, one of the largest pristine ancient forests in European
Russia. Located 300 kilometres south-east of Archangelsk, it is
one of the last remaining natural habitats for threatened animal
species like brown bears.
Of the more than 250,000 cubic metres of sawn timber produced
each year, two thirds are exported, much of it to Germany.
Oliver Salge, forests campaigner for Greenpeace, said that all
countries that import ancient forest timber are partially responsible
for this destruction, and "Germany is especially accountable
in this case."
Salge said that ancient forest destruction is stripping the inhabitants
of the Archangelsk region of their last hope for the future.
 "If
we want to protect the many animals and plants in Europe´s
pristine ancient forests," said Salge, "we have to save
their habitat. European governments, and certainly the German
government, must urgently support the protection of ancient forests
at the Ancient Forests Summit in the Hague."
You can
take action by telling your government to stand up for the
last ancient forests at the Ancient Forest Summit next month in
the Hague.
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