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According to WWF Russia and the World Bank, 20 per cent of
logging (35 million m³) is illegal, resulting in a total budget
loss of between 13 billion and 30 billion rubles.
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Greenpeace
Russia has estimated that at least 25 per cent of annual official
logging, or 50 million m³, is illegal. This includes:
• approximately 20 million m³ a year of logging by private
individuals for their own use (home heating, stockpiling for
construction and maintenance)
• some 10 million m³ of illegal logging by individuals and
businesses for sale or processing
• more than 20 million m³ a year of logging sanctioned by
official permits, but in gross violation of forestry regulations
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Differences between estimates are due, in part, to a lack of
clear definition of the term ‘illegal logging’ and weaknesses in
assessment methods. For instance, official estimates are often
based on satellite data for clear-felling outside of designated
areas and clear-felling areas of considerable size without
permits, thus likely disregarding other types of illegal logging
(including selective logging in smaller areas or the sale of
timber from areas damaged by forest fires).