FORESTRY IN THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600040377-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2011
• Sequence Number: 377
• Publication Date: August 7, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600040377-0
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAIJ
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
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DATE DISTR.
Aug 1953
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOWI
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
The Russian Forest Administration is based on the Leso Punkt or small forest
section. Five to six of these Lese Punkte make up the Forest Industry Economy
(Lesnoye Promyshlyennoye Fbozyaistvo) and in'.urn, 40 Forest Industry Economies
make up a Trust. Baca Trust is directly responsible to the. Commissariat of
Forest Industry in Moscow.
4. All forests are under the control of the Moscow Comsi:;=lariat. However, by
agreement, the Forest Industry allots certain sections of forest to other
industries which use a.great deal of lumber. As an example, the Commissariat
of Heavy Industry is assigned and has complete control of large sections of
forest. Such an industry has its own workers for cutting, seaaoning,etc.
5. The Commissariat of Forest Industry employs between 10 to 15 thousand trained
foresters. As a forester, one is limited, as in every ether profession, in
advancing to a position of responsibility unless one is a member of the Commun-
ist Party. only about five percent of all
6. The pine was used mostly for
construction work and railroad ties, while the oak was used for railroad car
construction wheels, eleigbs and barrels. In the various forests
five t cubir meters of railroad t es y.
the tie shipped to various points for
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/21: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600040377-0
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/21: CIA-RDP8O-00809AO00600040377-0
It would be very hard for me to estimate the amount of timber cut in the Soviet
Union. This is because the amount of work varies, since it is based on manpower.
There is very little machinery used in the cutting of Timber, practically all of
the work being done by hand with the use of handsaws and axes. Also, all hauling
to the rail heads is done by horses. 'Therefore, although there is a great deal
of timber available in the Soviet Union, there is a lack of lumber because of very
poor mechanization.
B. Slave labor is used exclusively in Siberia. In the European portion of the USSR,
the worker is paid, but it is probably the lowest wage in the USSR. IL amounts to
forced labor.
9. Each collective community which is located near a large forest is assigned
a quota of timber which it must cut. Not only is it hard to make and maintain the
quotas assigned, but it is backbreaking wcrk, since hand tools only are used. Then,
too, only the poorest forests are assigned to these collective communities.
10. The people of the USSR are not permitted to cut wood for themselves in the forests
without permission. 'If such permission is granted, it is usually granted to the
people who work in the'forests. Then they'i e'pdx i.tted to pick up the
branches and twigs from the main cuttings. However, they must pay for this wood.
Other people must buy wood from the Leeo??Punkt. And still, wood is the main fuel
used for household purposes. Again,. although tremendously rich is timber, the
Soviet people gain nothing from such richness.
11. In the European portion of the USSR there is a planned cutting program in the
forests. This is not true in Siberia, where cutting is done indiscriminately.
However, in neither area is timber cut to order. Rather timber is cut and
lumbered and seasoned by each Leso Punkt. Orders for shipping are then filled from
the stacks of seasoned lumber.. The average size of trees timbered is from 30
to 40 meters in height and from 30 to 50 centimeters in width.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/21: CIA-RDP8O-00809AO00600040377-0