MOSCOW, - The worked out forestry code does not envisage privatisation of forests, the head of the Economic Development Ministry's department for property and land relations, economy and natural resources use, Vsevolod Gavrilov, told a press conference on Tuesday.

There is no even the word "privatisation" in the new code, he noted.
At the same time, under the present legislation, all the forests are real estate. It is not right, Gavrilov said, adding that it was proposed to exclude forests from real estate property in the new version of the code.
Private ownership forms the basis of the new code, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Isayev said
There is such a notion as an owner of a forest area in the code. It means that the question is one of privatisation of forests, he said. Forest areas are the main small change, Isayev said.
The academician believes the document is chaotic and without inner logic.
It is aimed at demonopolisation of the state role in management of forests, he said.
In essence, the code is a raw-material-aspect document, while ecological aspects are in the background or there are no such aspects at all.
The federal forestry agency's head Valery Roshchupkin, in turn, reminded that forestry management also envisaged estimation of resources. It must remain the state’s prerogative, he said.
Roshchupkin noted changing in relations between the state and a forest user is an important, but painful, issue.
Implementation of the new code must begin after a transitional period of two-three years, he said.
The State Duma's consideration of the new forestry code at the second reading is postponed till next autumn. The deadline to submit proposals over the document is August 15.