MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a federal law on the enactment of the Russian Forest Code, the Kremlin press service told Interfax.
The State Duma passed the bill on November 8, 2006 and the Federation Council approved it on November 24. The code will come into force on January 1, 2007

Under the code, forests will remain federal property and that the federal property right for forestry enterprises must be transferred to the regions by February 1. The form of incorporation of forestry enterprises is to be modified, land plots are to be transferred from lumber camps to settlements, forests in the first group are to be recognized as protection forests and other measures related to the enactment of the Russian Forest Code are to be taken.
The law introduces changes to the Russian Civil Code eliminating forests as a type of real estate.