«REGULATION ON FOREST PRESERVATION» AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN KAZAN GOVERNORATE IN THE LATE XIX – EARLY XX CENTURY

Abstract

At the end of the XIX – the beginning of the XX century the development of forestry in Russia, including Kazan governorate, was to a certain extent determined by the state policy in this area and forest legislation then in force. The purpose of the study is to characterize the content of the “Regulations on Forest Preservation” dated 1888 and to analyze its implementation in the territory of Kazan governorate. Materials and methods. The work carried out is mainly based on the analysis of previously unknown archival documents extracted from the fund of Kazan Governorate Forest Protection Committee of the State Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan and the fund of the Forest Department of the Russian State Historical Archive. Materials from published sources and scientific literature on forestry issues were also used. The research is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency. Study results. The “Regulation” paid the main attention to proper management of the economy in protective and water-conserving forests. They were subject to mandatory saving from exhaustion and extermination. At the beginning of the XX century there were more than 200 such protective forest estates in Kazan governorate. Direct control over the forest resources conservation in the governorate was conducted by Kazan Forest Protection Committee, which was assisted by the ranks of the state forest administration, forest guards, police and other institutions. The number of forest estates subject to the forest protection law in Kazan province increased significantly over time. This was accompanied by the establishment of state control, primarily over the forests of private individuals and peasant rural societies, clear regulation of the volume and order of forest use, reforestation and other fundamental aspects of forestry. Gradually, the effect of the “Regulation” spread to almost the entire forest area of the governorate, regardless of the category of forest owners. Conclusions. In general, implementation of the “Regulation on Forest Preservation” had, undoubtedly, a positive impact on the condition and development of forest protection legislation and Russia’s forest industry, including Kazan governorate of the period under review.