Russia: Agreement Signed Between the US and Russia on Fire Management and Research (IFFN No. 6)
Agreement Signed Between the United States and
the Republic of Russia on Fire Management and Fire Research
(IFFN No. 6 – January 1992, p. 14-16)
A team of U.S. Forest Service fire managers and fire scientists visited the Republic of Russia from 23 September to 6 October 1991 to develop cooperative programs and technical and scientific exchanges in forest fire management and research. The American team was lead by Mr. Richard Stauber, Director of the Boise Interagency Fire Center (Boise Idaho) and consisted of Mr. Richard Bacon, Director of Fire and Aviation Management in the Northeastern Region of the U.S. Forest Service (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and Dr. Michael Fosberg, staff specialist in Forest Fire and Atmospheric Sciences Research, U.S. Forest Service, Washington D.C. The American team was hosted by Mr. Dimitri Odintsov, Deputy Minister of Forestry of the Russian Federation; Mr. Nikolai Andreev, Director of Operational Association of Aerial Fire Control; Mr. Eduard Davidenko, and Mr. Vladimir Schetinski of the Association of Aerial Fire Control.
The American team met with Deputy Minister Odintsov, Director Andreev, Deputy Ministers Vladimir Schetinsky and Yuri Grigoryevich, and Chief Scientist Eduard Davidenko in Puskino for discussions on over-all coordination between the United States and the Republic of Russia, and to finalize the agenda of the visit.
The American team then visited the Fire Research Institute in Saint Petersburg, the Northwestern Aerial Fire Center in Petrozavodsk, the Aerial Fire Center, The Fire Research Center, and the All Union Academy of Science Research Center in Krasnoyarsk, and also visited the Yartseva Aviation and Fire Control Base and the Irkutsk Regional Aerial Fire Center.
Recent changes in Russia have resulted in the transfer of all institutes to the Russian Ministry of Forests. All of the science of forestry, both theory and practice, will be under one ministry, although research in the Academy of Sciences will continue to maintain independence. There are plans, and preliminary approval to establish a Forest Academy that will address all forestry problems.
As a result of the American visit, an agreement was signed between the United States and the Republic of Russia which covered the following six points:
- Exchange of working groups to study fire fighting operations and management (beginning in 1992).
- Initiate the development of operational agreements in forest fire suppression for Alaska and the Eastern regions of the Russian Republic, the goal being the transportation and use of resources and equipment.
- Joint development of remote sensing (satellite) sensing systems for forest fire prediction, detection, and effective management.
- Monitor boreal forest ecosystems (including the effects of forest fires).
- Joint use of fire management computer software.
- Bilateral research programs on various problems of forest fire control.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Stauber for the United States, and by Minister Odintsov and Director Andreev for the Republic of Russia.
Much of the research under this agreement will be carried out under a second multinational agreement which established the International Boreal Forest Research Association. Currently, the United States, the Republic of Russia, and Canada are members of the Association, although Norway, Sweden and Finland have been invited to join.
From: Michael Fosberg
Forest Fire and Atmospheric Sciences Research
Address:
USDA Forest Service
P.O.Box 90690
USA-Washington, D.C. 20090
