European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                , Russia. The prior so Terrany nature Reserve former soviet wilderness areas struggle to survive by Julia Rubin the associated press. Pyotr Sery Ogin blows four blasts on a battered Hunting Horn then Calls into the thick Green Forest Quot Little ones Little ones. Little ones Quot ,. A family of five huge european Bison answers slowly emerging from the Birch Trees and lumbering through Chest High ferns toward the Fence where Sery Ogin 61, Waits with pails of feed. It looks like something out of a russian fairytale the Forest idyll the beasts with Long curved horns and their White haired keeper. But even in places like this the m protected heart of a nature Reserve the troubles of modern Day Russia Are pressing in. The Bison fenced in because of poaching and development Are suffering for Lack of space workers say. Other animals allowed to roam outside the Reserve Are being wiped out by poachers. Reserve workers Are underpaid and under equipped. Some have been dismissed others take time off to tend their own Small  s vast protected lands a 88 nature reserves two dozen National Parks and various other wilderness designations a include virtually every kind of ecosystem and an abundance of wild species and natural wealth. Like Many things now however their management runs largely on autopilot while the country absorbs the shocks of the last few years and figures out who is in. Charge of what. Prior so Terrany a 12,350-acre Reserve two hours South of Moscow has been assigned to six different ministries and departments in As Many years. Its exasperated director Evgraf likens has a resorted to using a Letterhead with just his name. Quot we could t change stationery fast enough Quot likens said. Natalia Danilin director of the nature reserves department says the reserves Are in no danger of being dissolved but that the government is still learning How to respond to a variety of new threats. From one Angle Russia s Industrial decline could be seen As an environmental Boon causing some polluting factories to close and Sid tracking Large development projects. But from another the economic crunch has Given profit a or simple survival a the Edge on preservation businesses and local governments Are taking Over land arid resources. Poaching has increased. Quot local nature Protection organs Are not always Strong enough to oppose. Authorities interested in fast profits Quot said Vasily a Hramtsov director of the Lazovsky Reserve in the far East where Trees have been felled in the habitat for endangered siberian tigers. At a Marine Reserve near Vladivostok an inspector said people were Quot literally emptying coastal Waters Quot of Salmon to sell we just won $50 0 shopping sprees Chris Fifield. Raf Fairford us Birgit Faught. Span Dahlem a. Be Manuel Rosales. Sembach a. Be loin the fun at participating Safe Bowling centers a i a a a a a Safe services a i to for i Hagi tar Fitek. Cars Quick Cash Chrysler sales a Michelob umit1d Hin Tull Dehaai Rajnes you a Lovi to Way we fit the caviar. Quot Many people Are under the illusion that we have such vast resources and such a tremendous country that it s inexhaustible Quot likens said. Under communism the rules were Clear. Across the soviet Union local party Bosses used reserves and Parks for their own. Private recreation in the process protecting them from damage by others. Now the system of party patronage is gone and the new government has much less clout. Aside from some flagrant violations a a pulp Mill on the shores of Lake Baikal for example environmentalists say the soviets generally took their Parks and reserves seriously. Reserves were off limits to the Public. A Quot it s a Paradox they made a mess but they also protected a lot of territory Quot said David Gordon of the Pacific environment and resources Center in Sausalito calif., which works on russian Forest preservation. The soviet system also controlled the land around wilderness areas which now feel the loss of those buffers. In other former soviet republics the challenges May be even greater because wilderness managers have lost the Kremlin s financial support and the influence they had As part of a Large Parks system. In recent months Russia has tried some Western style solutions. One of the new Moscow Banks finances programs to save endangered cranes and tigers advertising its support for wildlife on television and billboards. Environmental groups such As Greenpeace Are taking polluters and developers to court although with Little Success so far. Federal officials say the most effective Way to Deal with violators is still the old fashioned Way winning Over prosecutors and local administrators who can apply pressure. Some communities and local governments Are trying to attract big spending tourists Hunters and fishermen. Alexander Lisitsin who guides groups of foreign Hunters for a Moscow company named Greenfield says Money from Hunting licenses can protect Bear populations that Are being devastated by poaching and habitat now being cleared by loggers. Quot there s no Money anymore to pay the bureaucrats so who s left to protect wildlife Quot he said. Quot everything s commercial  even officials of some closed reserves talk of opening areas to the paying Public. Quot Many see it As a necessary evil Quot Gordon said. Quot others Are very upset by  Park rangers earn the equivalent of Only $25-$30 a month which could make them susceptible to bribes. At prior so Terrany director likens tries to supplement employees incomes with livestock and supplies. Sery Ogin in his 15th year at the Bison Breeding Center says survival is getting harder for both staff and animals. Quot there used Tor be lots of Deer and wild boars Quot he said but Quot this Winter there were no boars and Only a few dozen  he blames poaching and Road traffic v outside the Reserve pollution from local factories even the 1986 nuclear explosion at chernobyl in Ukraine. Quot there s something wrong with the climate Quot Sery Ogin said. Quot i Don t know. There Are hardly any Birds  state department issues warning to travellers from wire reports travellers to Russia take note the . State department is warning of increasing crime against foreigners especially in Russia s major cities. Pickpocket Ings assaults and robberies Are occurring Day or night on City streets subways trains a especially the Moscow St. Petersburg overnight train a in train stations airports markets tourist attractions hotel rooms and residences Quot even when locked or  the crime warning advises Quot travellers have found it safer to travel in groups organized by reputable tour agencies because Solo travellers Are More vulnerable to  hello Tima does t stand still. Labor Day weekend is almost Here. If you Haven t made your weekend travel plans for i that Holiday weekend yet then take a look at what we have to offer. 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Y h d schary travel a Berliner str. 10 a 67659 Kaiserslautern i Tel 0631-72021/22 fax 0631-78438 office hours monday Friday 0930-1730. Hot Elfna Minimh tar after Asiaa How a i i i i i i 1 stripes Magazine August 18, 1994