Abstract
<jats:p>The main way to minimize the damage caused to forest ecosystems by geological exploration and gold mining is forest reclamation. However, ineffective regulation of the reclamation process and lack of quality control led to environmental risks in areas of economic activity and nearby settlements, causing a significant gap between compliance with legislation and actual environmental results. The problem is particularly acute in the regions of Siberia and the Far East, which contain a significant share of Russia’s current and future gold mining potential. This paper analyzes the current practices of forest land reclamation in the Krasnoyarsk Krai. We found that the lack of expertise among members of the quality assessment committee, lack of necessary equipment, and conflicts of interest can pose significant obstacles to a fair assessment of the quality of reforestation projects. Based on these findings, we have developed proposals to improve the process of evaluating the quality of forest reclamation and subsequent monitoring of the environment in restored forest areas. These proposals aim to achieve a balance between the interests of business, government and the public by providing a more objective assessment of the outcomes of reclaiming forest lands.</jats:p>