The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation proposed to transfer to the regions the authority to issue permits for the collection of plants and mushrooms from the regional Red Books - now this is done by Rosperirodendzor. The department explains: "In the field, they know the situation of the local populations better." The order does not change the federal red book - Rosperirodendezor is still there. If the bill passes, the transfer is scheduled for September 1, 2027. What does this mean for the Leningrad region? The region will receive its own register to document the permitted collection and distribution of rare species. Free collection will not be possible: species of the Red Book can be confiscated only for the purpose of scientific research, conservation and restoration of populations, artificial reproduction or copying of plants threatened by changes in their habitat. The main concern is not the fungus. As of September 1, 2026, rules will come into effect that allow the capture of rare species for construction within the framework of state programs. "It is one thing to move a factory to save the population, and quite another to remove it from the site of a future construction site. Receiving the permit does not at all guarantee that the population will not suffer," experts point out. How this exception will work in practice is an open question. For half a million mushroom pickers in the Leningrad region (according to unofficial data), this means: sarcomas and other species of the Red Book remain prohibited, but their proximity to construction sites is questionable. Let's keep watching.

The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation proposed to transfer to the regions the authority to issue permits for the collection of plants and mushrooms from the regional Red Books - now this is done by Rosperirodendzor. The department explains: "In the field, they know the situation of the local populations better." The order does not change the federal red book - Rosperirodendezor is still there. If the bill passes, the transfer is scheduled for September 1, 2027. What does this mean for the Leningrad region? The region will receive its own register to document the permitted collection and distribution of rare species. Free collection will not be possible: species of the Red Book can be confiscated only for the purpose of scientific research, conservation and restoration of populations, artificial reproduction or copying of plants threatened by changes in their habitat. The main concern is not the fungus. As of September 1, 2026, rules will come into effect that allow the capture of rare species for construction within the framework of state programs. "It is one thing to move a factory to save the population, and quite another to remove it from the site of a future construction site. Receiving the permit does not at all guarantee that the population will not suffer," experts point out. How this exception will work in practice is an open question. For half a million mushroom pickers in the Leningrad region (according to unofficial data), this means: sarcomas and other species of the Red Book remain prohibited, but their proximity to construction sites is questionable. Let's keep watching.