Russian Regions Shift Timber Sales to Digital Platforms
The governor of the Vologda Region has ordered a full transition to a new online system to make the process more transparent.
The Vologda Region will move all timber sales into a fully digital format under an order issued by Governor Georgy Filimonov. He said the goal is to make the process transparent and straightforward, and to ease social tensions surrounding timber transactions.
Russia has developed the Unified State Automated Information System Les to support that effort. The platform logs every stage of logging operations, including tree felling and transportation. All companies and individuals operating in the sector must register on the portal, which also records the purchase and sale of logging plots and environmental protection measures. In effect, the system tracks nearly every tree.
Digital Tools for Forest Management
Timber transportation in Russia is regulated through the ERA-GLONASS system.
Technology is also playing a growing role in forest conservation. Cameras equipped with video analytics monitor for wildfires and illegal logging, while scientists use drones to estimate tree and wildlife populations. Unmanned aerial vehicles also help assess reforestation efforts in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
