As concerns over the depletion of global environmental resources heighten, the harvesting practices of the local the logging industry are coming under increasing scrutiny.
The World Wildlife Fund(WWF) has argued that Sustainable Forestry Management (SFM) is no longer an option but an imperative in a contemporary world of environmental emergency.
In this extract from an article prepared for Stabroek Business the WWF argues that intensive harvesting can devastate Guyana’s forest resources and sets out some “primary steps in reduced impact logging.”
Forest exploitation, if not sustainably practiced can inflict serious damage, heavy machinery can compact the soil and destroy local fauna while intensive harvesting can contribute to soil erosion, especially in hilly areas. This is particularly destructive during periods of heavy rainfall when large amounts of eroded soil enters waterways and causes flooding and affects aquatic life. Unsustainable logging can also reduce species diversity and the forest’s regenerative capacity, and excess organic debris can make forests more vulnerable to fires. While some damage is an unavoidable consequence of logging, poor planning and execution of logging cause much unneeded damage.
Sustainable practices if implemented correctly by all forest users can ensure that forests are maintained to provide all of its current services to the various dependent and user groups, for the present as well as the future.
One of the techniques associated with sustainable forestry is reduced impact logging (RIL). This can be defined as intensively planned and carefully controlled implementation of harvesting operations to minimize the impact on forest stands and soils, usually in individual tree selection cutting (Killmann. W., et al).
The primary steps in reduced-impact logging include:
1) cutting climbers and lianas well before felling to avoid bringing down or damaging other trees.
2) felling of trees in a predetermined direction in order to inflict the smallest impact on the surrounding forest;
3) establishing stream buffer zones and watershed protection areas (i.e. leave a reasonable area around streams and rivers untouched by logging and any other activity);
4) using improved technologies to reduce damage to the soil caused by log extraction;
5) planning carefully to prevent excess roads which give access to transient settlers;
6) reducing wood waste for cut areas (anywhere from 25-50 percent of the wood from a given cleared patch is wasted);
7) limiting the gradient of roads to prevent excess erosion.
These steps can limit damage to the surrounding forest and the impacts of logging activities, in addition to enabling a faster recovery. Also reducing gap size in the canopy can affect the growth rate and species type in the location as well as increase the chances of fires.
Some logging businesses may see implementation of these steps as a major drawback, since the management expense is greater due to more supervision, planning, and training, and with fewer trees removed, output and income can be reduced. Nonetheless, it is clear that some short-term sacrifices will have to be made to establish new forest management practices for long-term benefits.
Efforts are being made by WWF to encourage companies to attain the internationally recognized Forest Stewardship Certification (FSC). This would mean that their operations have to be streamlined in compliance with certain criteria and are designed to promote better operating standards which would include sustainable logging techniques and forest management, observance of indigenous rights and national laws and regulations. In addition to the benefits to the forest system, and the future of the industry, certified companies would benefit and can label their product as a certified product. This enables export to niche markets particularly those in North America and Europe as well as being able to fetch a higher price worldwide as opposed to non certified wood.
Currently WWF considers the FSC certification system to be a credible system to ensure environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management system for forest utilization. WWF therefore supports the FSC system to consumers, forest managers, policy makers, businesses and the public. As part of its SFM programme, WWF is currently assisting local companies to obtain Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification.
For those companies that may find it expensive or difficult to move directly into certification, WWF recommends to adopt the step-wise approach through the global Forest Trade Network (GFTN).
The GFTN links more than 360 companies, communities, NGOs, and entrepreneurs in more than 30 countries around the world, with a goal to create a new market for environmentally responsible forest products. Since 1991, market-driven demands from GFTN participants have increased the economic incentives for responsible forest management. The GFTN exists to support and facilitate greater coordination of national and regional efforts to expand responsible and credibly certified forest management, including technical assistance throughout the certification process and enhanced marketing opportunities.
The participants of the Network are committed to increasing the availability of forest products from well managed forests, helping each other benefit and profit from sustainable forest management, and ending the purchase of forest products from illegal and controversial sources.
Environmental benefits of FSC certification are notable. It helps to create a system that would guarantee to everyone participating in the forest industry that they are working to protect, rather than to destroy the forests. FSC’s environmental criterion recognises that forest management should:
• Conserve biological diversity and its values: water resources, soils, unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes
• Maintain the ecological functions and integrity of the forest
• Protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats
As mentioned previously, FSC’s concept of sustainable forest management, has social benefits as it aims to ensure that human rights for local communities and forest workers are respected. As such, to meet the social criteria laid down by the FSC, all certified forestry operations must seek permission from indigenous groups before forestry work can begin. Those local people who have traditionally used the forests for collecting fruits, firewood, building materials or medicinal plants, must still have access to the forests which offer them socio-economic support.
Part 11 of this edited feature will be published in the next issue of the Stabroek Business.