Russia will establish a special fund for supporting civic initiatives related to ecological and environmental protection projects, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly, or Russian parliament.
“I believe it is necessary to establish a fund for ecological and environmental protection projects to support civil initiatives in this field,” Putin said.
He noted that initially, “the aggregate volume of grants will amount to 1 bln rubles per year.” The Russian president also suggested raising the salaries of specialists working in forestry, meteorology and environmental protection.
“I propose raising the salaries of specialists who work in forestry, meteorology and environmental protection. They deal with the most important issues of environmental well-being. But we must honestly say that the issues they deal with here are very important, but their income levels are very modest,” Putin added.
He also noted that work for the preservation of specially protected natural areas, and the protection and restoration of rare and endangered species of plants and animals will continue.
