The purpose of the research is to assess the key trends and problems of timber complex development of the region (based on the Vologda Oblast), its role and significance for the municipalities’ development. Such scientific methods as economic, statistical analysis, methods of analysis, synthesis, and cluster analysis, generalization, monographic and cartographic were used to achieve this goal. These questions become especially topical nowadays due to necessity to develop approaches, methods and tools for achieving goals and issues of the Spatial Development Strategy of RF in the period up to 2025. During the analysis, the authors reveal that timber complex enterprises are represented in all municipal areas and urban districts of the Vologda Oblast (Vytegorsky, Babayevsky, Nikolsky and Verkhovazhsky regions are the leaders by the volume of timber production among the region territories). The researchers show that the rated wood cutting is only half used on average in the districts of the Vologda Oblast. This is largely due to the lack of necessary production capacity for added-value wood procession, unavailability of a separate part of exploitable forests for their development due to low density of forest roads and extremely low rates of new forest road building, regulatory problems that lead to limited access for business (include small business) for lease and exploitation of forest areas. The results of the work can be used in the activities of federal and regional authorities, as well as the basis for the further studies on this topic
Keywords
municipalities, rural areas, vologda oblast, timber complex, cluster analysis, Vologda Oblast, priority investment projects