Commonwealth Forestry News |
|||
|
No. 6 |
September 1999 |
ISSN 1463-3868 |
|
Contents Chairman's column |
|||
The international newsletter of the Commonwealth Forestry Association
"To promote the well-being of the world's forest and those who depend on them."
CFA. Administrative Office: Oxford Forestry Institute,
South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK. Telephone:[+44]1865 271037
Facsimile: [+44]1865 275074. E.mail:
cfa_oxford@hotmail.com
Editor CFNews:
Philip Wardle, 3 Charles Hill, Elstead, GU8
6LE,Surrey,U.K.
Telephone,Facsimile:-[+44]01252702204.
E-mail:
101656.1772@compuserve.com
Chairman's column
The Chairman has invited Regional Vice-Chairmen to contribute to this column. Bob Newman is the first to take up the challenge.
Where do we go from here
The Commonwealth Forestry Association is approaching its 80th anniversary which will be celebrated at the AGM in Perth, Western Australia in April 2001. There is much to celebrate.
Bad news, however, is the statistic of declining membership. The CFA is too valuable to be allowed to vegetate. At the second Regional Chairmen's conference held at Green College, Oxford in May there was lively discussion on the future funding of the Association and therefore, the marketing of membership.
The CFA is an excellent international network for contacts and information on forestry matters around the world. Its journal has now been able to assume the title International Forestry Review and the CFA Newsletter should be more widely read and ought to be able to attract subscriptions.
When it commenced in 1921 there was no institute of foresters in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia or Malaysia for instance and the Association, then known as the Empire Forestry Association, filled a vital role for professional contact also at the country level. All the countries mentioned and of course Canada and the UK now have their own institutes, as have many other Commonwealth countries.
The Regional Chairmen recommended that as a trial UK, Canadian and Australian institutes be approached to encourage them to take the Newsletter to all their members as an added service. This would then more clearly place the CFA in the active role of providing international extension for the domestic institute. In addition it was suggested that those institutes formally invite a CFA member to be on their governing council, which would further assist in bringing the value of the CFA before the membership. This idea will be extended as fast as we can gain the interest of other regions and countries.
A further important issue raised was that with the burgeoning interest in forestry by many authorities and private organisations, there needs to be an effort to expand membership to environmental science and national parks sectors. Thinking on the appropriate direct contact strategy to achieve this is yet to be finalised.
These arrangements if successful would mean that the six regions CFA structure - Africa East and West, South East Asia Pacific, Europe and North Africa, the Americas and the South Asia sub-continent - will become very important in ensuring there is much more executive participation in the affairs of the Association.
Readers! Watch for developments!
from BOB NEWMAN, Vice President
and Regional Vice-Chairman Asia and the Pacific
Association News
CFA Lunch 29.11.1999
A farewell lunch, in honour of His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch on his retirement from the Presidency of the Association, will be held in Edinburgh at the Royal Overseas League, 100 Princes Street, on Monday 29 November. An inaugural meeting UK Branch will take place in the morning
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee held its 200th session on 26th March hosted at the Ghana High Commission by HE Mr J.E Aggrey Orleans and its 201st on 27th May hosted at Boughton House by the President, His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch. These sessions were both Chaired by Jag Maini and dealt with the continuing business of the Association - preparation for the AGM, consideration of awards, the budget and accounts and publications. Major issues that are under discussion include the role and status of the regional organisation and the national branches and consideration of expanding membership. It was considered that the UK should form its own national branch. Very important input to these discussions was provided by the Regional Chairs Meeting, the results of which are reported below and were presented to 201st session. The next session of the Executive Committee will be held on 15 October 1999. The next AGM will be held 19/20 May 2000. The AGM in 2001 will be held in conjunction with the Commonwealth Forestry Conference in Fremantle, Western Australia in the period 18 -25 April.
In Memoriam:
We regret to announce the death of Hollis Murray, Trinidad and of B.E. Smythies, U.K. Obituary notices are included in IFR 1/3
Queen's Award for the Millenium
We are now inviting nominations for the Millenium Queen's Award for Forestry. Nomination forms have been sent to all Commonwealth Forest Departments and to others throughout the world. Nomination forms may also be obtained from the Secretary of CFA. The short report below from Dr S.N, Rai of India , winner of the award in 1989, and the report in CFN No5 from Dr Jerry Vanclay, winner in 1997, give an idea of some of the ways in which the award is contributing to improving information exchange, understanding and the dissemination of technology for forestry.
from Peter Wood Vice President and Convenor of the Queen's Award Committee
Regional award for excellence
Garth Nikles, Senior Principal Research Scientist for Genetic Resources at the Queensland Forest Research Centre has been awarded the Asia Pacific Regional CFA award for excellence. The award recognises his four decades of innovative work and leadership in tree improvement and hybrid development. An exotic pine hybrid ensures faster growing straighter trees on Queensland's challenging plantation soils. Recent work has turned to native hardwoods, particularly eucalypts. Through the IUFRO working group on breeding tropical and sub-tropical species, Garth has promoted the sharing of expertise across borders and provided encouragement and support in international exchange between colleagues in this field. His exceptional dedication to tree improvement research has earned him a Public Service Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours and the Meritorious Service award of Queensland's Department of Primary Industries.
from BOB NEWMAN Vice President and Vice-Chairman for South East Asia and Pacific
Greetings from South Africa
It was a pleasure to meet Committee and other members of the CFA at the Boughton House AGM and to have discussions (all too short) about the CFA in South Africa. The Southern African Institute of Forestry had a Council meeting on 8th June and the members were positive about the suggestion that the SAIF be used as a body to further the aims and activities of the CFA. Visits of CFA Committee members, officials and members to South Africa or Southern Africa should be beneficial to introduce the further aims of CFA. Members visiting Southern Africa are invited to make contact with the SAIF office, Postnet Suite 329, P/BAG X4, Menlopark 0102, SA. Tel/Fax +27 12 348 1745 E-mail: forestry@mweb.co.za
from WILLEM OLIVIER President SAIF
Formation of a UK Branch
An inaugural meeting for the UK Branch of the CFA will take place on the morning of November 29th 1999, in Edinburgh. National CFA branches have already been set up in a number of countries and the Executive Committee considers this decentralisation to be constructive and looks towards the formation of an increasing number of active national branches, co-operating closely, and developing their own locally functional approach towards implementation of the Association's common objectives.
Dr Caroline Howard has been appointed Chairman with the task of developing a constitution and launching the UK Branch. She intends to do this in an entirely participatory way. During August she wrote to all UK members to seek their ideas and advice, and will correlate the response the constitution and a strategy document which she hopes to have ratified at the inaugural meeting.
One important decision that has already been taken is that all CFA members normally or temporarily resident in the UK will be welcomed as members of the UK Branch without additional charge. It is hoped that there will be active participation in the formation of the new Branch, all comments and ideas are welcome and should be addressed to Dr Howard at the CFA, where further information is available.
from CAROLINE HOWARD
Forest Scenes - The battle for Angel Falls
Construction of a 300mile power line to Brazil through Venezuela's Amazonian rain forest and across Canaima National Park, home of the Angel Falls and the flat topped mountain that inspired Conan Doyle's "The Lost World" was halted by the new government. The environment minister Jesus Perez, has launched a public consultation to take account of economic, social and environmental concerns. £125m out of £190m has already been spent. Opponents say the price of building in a place as fragile as Canaima is too high.
from THE GUARDIAN 1.7.99
Regional Vice-Chairmen meet
The 2nd meeting of the Regional Vice-Chairmen was held at Green
College, Oxford, Wednesday 26 May 1999. Present were: Mr Jim Ball, in
the Chair (Europe), Dr Jag Maini, Chairman (Canada), Prof. Julian Evans,
Vice Chairman (U.K.), Mr Johnson Mhungu (Africa), Mr Bob Newman (South
East Asia and Pacific) and Mr Shyam Sunder (South Asia), Mr Peter Wood,
Vice President, Miss Michelle Leeks (Secretary) and Mrs Pratima Mitchell
(Editorial Assistant). Apologies from Mr Ralph Roberts (North America).
Opening
CFA Chairman, Dr Maini outlined some urgent
concerns:
How should the CFA reach policy makers in their countries
about forestry issues? The need for new initiatives to increase the size
of membership; the problem in many developing countries of both
collecting and remitting subscriptions to U.K; and the role of the
regions, defining the African region and getting better representation
on CFA Governing Council.
Key features of the role and
objectives of the CFA as perceived by the regions include the
following:
- It provides an international perspective and acts as a conduit to members for international issues;
- It does not have professional entry qualifications and thus does not intrude on or compete with national professional organisations,
- Its membership includes professional foresters, as well as others subscribing to the well being of the world's forests and those who benefit from them.
- Advancement of knowledge and understanding of forestry issues, particularly in international policy arena is its major concern.
National branches or chapters were considered an essential
link to the country membership. Guidelines for national chapters were in
draft. It was recommended that national representatives should be
members of the Governing Council.
Regional Awards
Nominations for the award will be made nationally to the Regional Chair.
Each region will be responsible for funding the award presentation and
arranging publicity. Selection should be based on popular recognition,
achievement in the service of forests and forestry, long-term commitment
and integrity. Two Regional Awards are proposed per region per year and
approved by the Executive Committee.
South Asia
Following the appointment of a new delivery service, the Review is
reliably reaching members. An autumn CFA conference in Delhi will focus
on forestry issues and the Indian branch plans to promote more regional
conferences of this sort.
Membership
It was suggested
that for members in developing countries the subscriptions would be paid
in local currency at the local branch rate and the income retained in
the country. A membership fee might be reduced to cover the newsletter
only, as a way of increasing membership numbers and responding to the
wishes of the members. Members who wish to subscribe to the Review will
remit their fees to the secretariat. It is proposed to appoint regional
membership secretaries who could work with regional chairs and the
secretariat to monitor and promote global membership.
Commonwealth
Foundation Support
Appreciation for the Commonwealth
Foundation's continued support was noted, especially for the latest
initiative the Young Professional Forester Exchange Scheme.
Regional
Chair meetings
It was recommended that meetings of regional
Vice-Chairs should be held yearly. India has been proposed as the host
country for the next meeting. It may be possible to combine with other
gatherings, such as IUFRO in 2000 and the Commonwealth Forestry
Conference in 2001.
Queen's Award travel - S.N. Rai
The 1989 Queen's Award for Forestry was made to me for my work in the area of forestry research, education and management, particularly in tropical rain forests. I received it in Rotorua, New Zealand during the Commonwealth Forestry Conference, from the hand of the Governor General of New Zealand on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen.
The award provided me with the opportunity to travel in parts of Australia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It was an opportunity for sharing experience in those countries and also learning about certain species - Eucalyptus, Casuarina and Acacia auriculiformis - that had been planted on a fairly large scale in the tropics of India. Travel on the east coast of Australia from Canberra to Cairns, gave an excellent exposure regarding the ecological distribution of Eucalyptus, tropical pines and Acacia auriculiformis, besides enriching my knowledge of tropical rain forests. It helped considerably in our thinking about the above plantation species and eventually paved the way for the introduction of straight growing provenances of Acacia auriculiformis in Southern India.
Travel in Sri Lanka and Malaysia was primarily with a view to sharing experience of nursery and planting techniques and the plantation management of a host of species from the tropical rain forest and the moist deciduous forests of the Indian tropics. The most fulfilling part was that the Sri Lankan Forest Department really welcomed these inputs and felt that the knowledge of nursery and planting aspects could considerably help in their afforestation efforts. Travel in Malaysia gave me an opportunity to share my thoughts on the possibility of raising some of the excellent hardwood species from the Indian sub-continent in their plantation programmes. It also revealed to me the vulnerability of Acacia mangium to stem rot and leaf blight diseases. This led to the practice of giving preference to Acacia auriculiformis over Acacia mangium in parts of Karnataka.
The award provided me an opportunity to share my thoughts with colleagues in the countries I visited and the experience I gained with colleagues at home and in some cases it has led to participation in meetings abroad and the opportunity to share more widely the knowledge for improvement of forestry.
(Dr S.N. Rai is now Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in Karnataka, India.)
Around The World
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests
The advance, unedited version of the report of IFF III held in May 1999, in English only, is now available at the Secretariat website: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/iff.htm. IFF IV will take place in New York, 31 January to 11 February 2000 (subject to ECOSOC meeting in Geneva in July 1999).
The following are some Government-Sponsored Initiatives in Support of the IFF
(a) Completed before IFF III
- Six-Country Initiative on "Putting the IPF Proposals for Action into Practice at the National Level". Contact: Christian Mersmann, GTZ e-mail: marlene.steigerwald@gtz.de
- International Consultation on Research and Information Systems in Forestry (ICRIS). Contact: Heinrich Schmutzenhofer, IUFRO Secretariat
- International Experts Workshop and In-depth Study on Forest Conservation and Protected Areas. Contact: Rod.Holesgrove@ea.gov.au
- Underlying Causes of Deforestation and Forest Degradation hosted by Costa Rica and organized in cooperation with NGOs and UNEP. Contact: Ms. Simone Lovera, email: slovera@nciucn.nl.
- Protected Forest Areas. Contacts: Joy Berg, US Forest Service, j.berg@if.arctic.com Braulio Dias, Brazil Ministry of Environment, bfsdias@mma.gov.br.
- Study on the Global Outlook for Plantations. Contact: Gary Dolman, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia, gary.dolman@affa.gov.au
- International Expert Meeting on the Role of Planted Forests. Sponsored by the Governments of Chile, Denmark, New Zealand and Portugal. Contact: Carlos Weber, Chilean Forest Service, - cweber@conaf.cl
(b) To be completed before IFF IV
- International arrangements and mechanisms to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development are supported by regional consultations under the Costa Rica-Canada initiative 9 regional meetings are scheduled from August, with the final meeting in Ottawa, Canada, 6-10 December 1999. Contacts: Guido Chaves guidocha@ns.minae.go.cr and Michael Fullerton mfullert@nrcan.gc.ca
- Open-ended International Expert Meeting on "Special Needs and Requirements of Developing Countries with Low Forest Cover and Unique Types of Forests", 4-8 October 1999, Tehran, Iran. Organized by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Contact: Shamse-din Shariat Nejad, faro-high-concil@mavara.com
Forthcoming meetings relevant to IFF
11-12 Oct 1999, Istanbul, Turkey. FAO Workshop - National Forest Programmes for the Near East.
25 Oct-5 Nov 1999. Bonn, Germany. Fifth Session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN/FCCC*.
1-6 Nov 1999. Yokohama, Japan. 27th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council.
15-26 Nov 1999, Recife, Brazil. Third Session of the Conference of the Parties of the UN/CCD**.
31 Jan-11 Feb 2000, New York, USA. Fourth Session - Intergovernmental Forum on Forests.
17 April-5 May 2000, New York, USA. Eighth session -Commission on Sustainable Development.
15-26 May 2000, Nairobi, Kenya. Fifth meeting - Conference of the Parties of the CBD***.
24-30 May 2000, Lima, Peru. 28th Session - International Tropical Timber Council.
from TAGE MICHAELSON, IFF
*Framework Convention on Climate Change. ** Convention to Combat Desertification. *** Convention on Biological Diversity.
WCFSD
The World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development released its report "Our Forests...Our Future", published by Cambridge University Press on 19 April. CFNews No3 carried a note about the summary, which was explored further in CFR 77/4. In the April issue of Developing Ideas, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Manitoba, Canada, Damandeep Singh provides an overview of why the Commission was instituted and what it hoped to achieve. He reviews the several major recommendations:- the Citizens' Forum charged with safeguarding the public interest in forests; the Forest Security Council - an organisation to provide international leadership and solutions to forest related problems; the Forest Capital Index - a tool for evaluation of forest ecosystem services; and finally, through reference to experience in India, he looks at possibilities of integrating indigenous knowledge with modern forestry management.
At the end of this issue, IISD considers progress in the forest dialogue, finding the path towards an international agreement on forests unexpected and tiresome. After the difficult discussions at UNCED, where the outcome was the non-legally binding Statement of Forest Principles, efforts began for an agreement on forests. The UN Commission on Sustainable Development set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, which after two years recommended continued policy dialogue even as it failed to agree on major issues such as financial assistance, trade related matters and whether to begin negotiations toward a global forest convention. The UN General Assembly then set up the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests, mandated to "identify possible elements of and work towards consensus on international arrangements and mechanisms, for example, a legally binding Instrument". Do matters remain just as "pending" as we approach IFF IV as they were at the end of IPF?
WCFSD, launched in 1995 by the Interaction Council of former heads of state and working on a parallel track to UNCSD, appears to have had some success in forging associations around the world through dialogue and public hearings. As the debate on international agreement continues, perhaps the decision makers need to be reminded of the spectre haunting the globe - in the estimates of WCFSD - of forests disappeared, of losing 10-15 million ha of forest annually to permanent deforestation and of plant species becoming extinct.
from IISD
Forest Scenes - High-tech makeover
A substance almost as old as ancient civilisation itself, used 5000 years ago in the construction of Egypt's pyramids, to the Romans it was a vital component of civil engineering. Yet just because it has been around so long does not mean that it cannot be taught new tricks. New forms could soon be used to heat buildings, monitor traffic flows and to detect earthquakes.
from THE ECONOMIST 24.7.99
Unfortunately they are talking about concrete not wood. Reference is made to incorporation of carbon fibre or porous carbon to increase electrical conductivity creating 'smart' concrete which can double as structural material and sensor or a conductor that can be used for under-floor heating. Floating platforms and pressure resistant undetectable submarines are other ideas out there. Contributions on the equivalent technological innovation in the use of a material older than civilisation - wood - will find a warm welcome in these columns.
ITTC in Thailand
The 26th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council met in Chiang Mai 28 May - 3 June under the Chairmanship of Mr Jean-Williams Sollo of Cameroon. The session was attended by several forestry ministers including Dr Christina Amoako-Nuama, Minister of Lands and Forestry, Ghana; Mr Jean Claude Kouassi Minister of Environment and Forestry, Cote d'Ivoire and Mr Pongpol Adireksarn Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Thailand. In the opening speech Mr Adireksarn suggested an imbalance in the discussions of tropical forestry in international fora generally, which he said tended to focus on issues of conservation while neglecting those of the timber trade and the market. Transparency of the forest product market and equitable pricing systems were equally important and vital to the success of forest resource conservation and sustainable forest management.
The timber trade and market were dominant in the discussion of this session, which emphasised the need for ITTO to give more emphasis to this aspect in its work. Reports on the Promotion of Market Access Opportunities for International Trade in Tropical Timber and the Downturn in the International Tropical Timber Market were presented and the theme of the annual market discussion was the downturn in the world timber market and the positive contribution ITTO should make. The Council decided to request members to report back to the next session on measures taken to eliminate obstacles to market access for tropical timber, while ITTO should work to improve public understanding of the role of tropical timber trade. Demonstrating sustainable forest management was seen as part of the process to improve market access for tropical timber and the Council adopted the newly formulated Manual for the Application of Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Management of Natural Tropical Forests.
Delegates were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Thai hosts. Dr Plodprasop Suraswadi, Director General of Forests, hosted a sumptuous reception where guests had the opportunity to take rides on elephants, to sample a traditional Thai dinner and to enjoy a beautiful display of Thai dancing to the accompaniment of fantastic fireworks which lit up the night sky.
from CATRIONA PREBBLE, Tropical Forest Update
Vacancy - Executive Director, ITTO
ITTO has announced the vacancy for the position of Executive Director, open to nationals of member countries; Government endorsed applications to be received at ITTO headquarters by 14 September 1999. E-mail: itto@mail.itto-unet.ocn.ne.jp
Sense in Statistics
A recent initiative involving FAO, ECE, EU, ITTO, OECD and others, aims to enhance international co-operation in the collection of forest product production and trade statistics. All of these organisations have a responsibility to collect, analyse, organise and disseminate information on various aspects of the forest sector. Several countries have asked that these international organisations carry out their information related mandate as efficiently as possible and in particular, seek synergies by collaborating on joint forest sector questionnaires. An Inter-Secretariat Working Group on Forest Statistics involving these organisations was set up in the early 1990s and the first outcome was a common forest products questionnaire for ECE, FAO and EU. In 1998-99 a joint questionnaire was finalised and distributed globally for the first time.
The philosophy behind the joint questionnaire is the following: a core questionnaire collects information on removals, production and trade across the forest sector from which each organisation can obtain basic information. A number of supplementary but closely related questionnaires address issues specific to the needs of one or more of the organisations, for example in ITTO's case a supplementary questionnaire collects data on tropical species traded. Each organisation takes responsibility for distribution, receiving replies and follow-up and contact with national correspondents for a group of countries within its membership. Information collected is shared with the other organisations concerned.
The benefits of this approach include:- time saving with no decrease in data collected; responding countries provide data in a single response to all organisations, within a single framework and set of definitions; information in all organisations is consistent; organisations benefit from each others' experience and contacts.
from STEVEN JOHNSON and JAIRO CASTANO, ITTO in Tropical Forest Update 1999/2
Doing Business in SADC Forestry
The Southern African Development Community has 14 member states and its Forestry Technical Co-ordination Unit is based in the Department of Forestry in Malawi. The 15th Technical Committee meeting in Pretoria 1996 identified the need for a guide to assist potential investors in the SADC forestry sector. Price Waterhouse was commissioned to visit the then member countries and produce the guide. (It does not cover the most recent members - Congo Democratic Republic and Seychelles.) This has now been published with assistance from the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation as a book covering the 12 countries and in individual country booklets. The texts provide an overview of the status of the forest estate and outline the potential for business opportunities in each country.
Each country report reviews the forest resources and the commercial potential of natural and plantation forests, the forest regulatory environment, the current state of development of forest industry, the major players, markets and investment regulations. The detail and up-to-dateness varies between countries, which is in itself an indication of the business potential.
Reference: Guide to doing business in the SADC Forestry Sector. SADC and Commonwealth Secretariat, London 1999.
Save Armenian Forests
We recently received several copies of the newsletter from the UK Embassy in Yerevan, and decided to present our contribution in the form of this essay.
Armenia is a landlocked, mountainous country located in the south Transcaucasus region. A wide variety of habitats may be found in this small territory, including desert, semi-desert, steppe, forest, sub-alpine and alpine meadows. Due to its position at the meeting point of three diverse bio-geographic regions and the mountainous nature of its landscape, the country sustains high biological diversity and a number of endemic species of the Caucasus. Though only 11% of the territory is covered by forest, at altitudes ranging from 500 to 2700 m, there are more than 200 species of trees and shrubs. All forests in Armenia are state owned and formally protected areas make up one third of the total forest area.
The current harsh economic situation has created a great demand for wood products. Large areas of peri-urban forests have been denuded, which negatively affects soil and water resources. It has been estimated that in each of the last 6 years at least 1million m3 of wood has been illegally cut, and this has damaged the forests, as cutting was done in an uncontrolled and disorderly manner. It is feared that rare species, both flora and fauna, disappear continuously. The co-operation between concerned ministries and authorities when it comes to sustainable forest management and use is not good enough.
The situation concerning the management and conservation of forest resources is crucial, and calls for immediate action of both national and international communities.
from Dr. KAREN TER-GHAZARYAN, Ministry of Nature Protection, Armenia
Indian Forest Service Salaries
The mundane subject of salaries may be of interest in other parts of the world. Public forests in India belong to the states but the Government of India has the last word on management. The management personnel comprises both members of the State Forest Service and of the Indian Forest Service, but the higher posts are occupied only by the latter.
One of the grouses of the forestry sector has been that, in the payment of emoluments, foresters have always been discriminated against. In many states the salary of the State Forest employees in different grades have been upgraded to be on a par with the police, but the Indian Forest Service salaries remained marginally lower. This was of little importance in money terms, but of some significance in the social equation. Recent revisions of pay scales by the Government of India have set this anomaly right.
In India we have three all India services - the Indian Administration Service, the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service. While previously the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests had a marginally lower maximum than the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, the basic scale has been revised up from INR 7 600 -8 000 per month and is now for both the Principal Chief Conservator and the Director General of Police in the range INR 24-26 000 per month, while the rate for the Chief Secretary, who is head of the Civil Service, is INR 26 000. This perhaps reflects the concern of the Government of India for the country's forests and their ecology. (Note INR 70 = £1)
from SHYAM SUNDER, Regional Vice-Chairman for South Asia
Woodfor Africa '99
Hailed as a major success, Woodfor Africa '99 held in Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa from 9-13 June achieved its primary objective, which was to provide the forestry, sawmilling and the timber industry in Africa with a showcase of an international standard.
Exhibitors representing 112 companies and exhibits covering more than 20 000m² of space, had four days in which to show the more than 5 000 mainly trade visitors what they had to offer the industry. The major South African forestry companies, Mondi, Safcol and Sappi lent great support to the event, together with brand leaders such as Stihl, Husqvarna, Bell Equipment, Timberjack, MAN Truck & Bus and Caterpillar to mention but a few. Visitors were also able to travel into the forests of Mondi and Safcol to view forestry machinery demonstrations.
The two-day conference has been acclaimed by the 395 delegates as the sector's best line-up of internationally recognised speakers, drawn from around the world, ever to come together in Africa. There were 5 focused conferences (Wood Demands, Nursery Production, Wildfire, Sawmilling and Timber Harvesting & Transportation (IUFRO Div. 3.10) and a plenary session entitled Forestry into the New Millennium.
Conference formulation was led by an industry based committee and organised by Vertexrai, Woodfor Africa. Proceedings are available on CD-ROM Fax +27 331 944842, E mail: mailto:sc@futurenet.co.za
from LINDA BARRON
MAF New Zealand
Forestry and Agriculture have merged to form a new Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, P O Box 2526, Wellington, NZ.
from DON WIJEWARDANA
Zambia and CCD
In its commitment to the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Government of Zambia set up a National Action Steering Committee in 1998 including representation of Non-Governmental and Community Based Organisations.
The Convention to Combat Desertification and to mitigate the effects of drought is a major achievement of the international community. At the heart of the convention is the commitment of affected countries to prepare and implement action programmes to prevent land degradation. The focus is on popular participation and helping local people to help themselves to prevent and reverse land degradation. The commitment of donor countries to assist, is especially significant.
With the support of UNDP/UNSO, the Zambia Alliance of Women organised a National NGO Forum with the objectives of creating awareness of CCD, to find out about relevant activities already going on and identify gaps and constraints, to articulate the role and elaborate a mechanism for NGO co-operation and to propose priority activities for the plan of action. The Forum came up with a list including the following: awareness and education, research, capacity building, networking, advocacy, land rehabilitation and water harvesting.
from VICTOR KAWANGA, CFA Zambia
News of members and friends
Dr Freezailah retires from ITTO
The founding Executive Director of the International Tropical Timber Organisation, Dato' Dr B C Y (Freddy) Freezailah, retired from this position which he has held for 12 years, since the organisation's formation. Amongst many expressions of appreciation and admiration, Dr Freezailah's association with ITTO was likened to that of a forester who has carefully tended a young seedling and nurtured it as it grew into a mature tree. He may now look with pride at the healthy individual he has left behind.
ITTO at its 26th Session adopted a statement in appreciation of the outstanding and dedicated service of Dato' Dr Freezailah Bin Che Yeom as Executive Director, citing his untiring efforts, invaluable contributions and dynamic leadership in guiding the growth and development of ITTO and in enhancing international co-operation in the promotion of international trade in tropical timber, the sustainable management of tropical forests and the sustainable development of tropical forest industries.
from CATRIONA PREBBLE, Tropical Forest Update
Mafa Chipeta moves to CIFOR
Mafa, a member of the CFA Governing Council and citizen of Malawi, has left FAO, where he most recently held the position of FAO Representatives to Uganda. He takes up a new assignment as Deputy Director General of the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Bogor, Indonesia.
Dr. D. N. Tiwari - member of CFA in the Indian Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission of India, set up by the Parliament in 1950, is the central authority which formulates the developmental goals through Five Year Plans and annual programmes. The budgetary support to projects depends on the priority accorded by the Planning Commission. Forestry has suffered in the field of investment in India, as in 1951, when the First Five Year Plan was formulated, most of the developmental projects depended on the clearance of forests - for extension of agriculture, creation of reservoirs, control of malaria and even control of wild beasts (now termed wildlife). In this scenario, with wholesale clearance of forests and surfeit of forest produce, forestry had no place in budgetary claims under the Five Year Plans. It was merely as a measure of recognition of the department's existence that a token allocation was provided in the first Five Year Plan. Since then, in successive Plans, increases have resulted but based on the initial zero base so that it receives, even at present, barely 1 % of the total annual allocation, to be invested in 20% of land area of the country. This was also abetted by the fact that the only forester in the corridors of the Planning Commission has never been of a rank higher than a Conservator of Forests. Unless foresters get into the political arena, forestry will remain in the background.
The Planning Commission has the Prime Minister of India as its Chairman and a few experts as its Members. The Members are appointed for a period of five years. They have the rank of Ministers of State in the Government of India.
This long introduction is to underline the significance of Dr. Tiwari's appointment as a Member of the Commission. He has PhDs in Social Anthropology, Biotechnology and Forestry. While Conservator of Forests in Madhya Pradesh he was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of Bilaspur University. His next assignment was as the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. After retirement from the Indian Forest service, he had a brief stint as the Member of the Uttar Pradesh Planning Commission. This is followed by his present assignment. Foresters in India anticipate that Tiwari will leave a strong mark in the Planning Commission, in favour of forestry.
from S. SHYAM SUNDER, Vice-Chairman, South Asia.
International Forestry Review 1(3)
FOREWORD
H.R.H THE PRINCE OF WALES
INTRODUCTION
A.J. GRAYSON
PAPERS
The potential role for forest plantations to meet future demands for
industrial wood products
ADRIAN WHITEMAN and CHRIS BROWN
Sustainability of forest plantations: a review of evidence and future
prospects
JULIAN EVANS
Pathogens in exotic plantation forestry
M.J. WINGFIELD
Environmentally beneficial plantation development in sub-Saharan
Africa with special reference to Ghana
E.O.A. ASIBEY and D.E.K.A.
SIAW
Plantation management for landscapes in Britain
SIMON BELL
Employment in JFM plantation schemes
D.S. RABINDRAN and D.
SHIELDS
Securing land for forest plantations in Ghana
F.K. ODOOM
Plantations for Australia - the 2020 Vision RICHARD STANTON
REVIEWS/NOTICES
Forest Scenes - Cruelty to genetically modified wood
Activists against modified crops snapped saplings and stripped bark off trees leaving them wilting and dying. Scientists with Zenecca, a British bio-technology company, had altered the poplars' genes to produce less lignin. Tests on the wood salvaged from the damaged trees indicate that the genetically modified poplars need 15% less bleaching and other chemicals to make white paper, an outcome designed to benefit the environment. It is expected that future planting will not be in Britain and the research is likely to go overseas.
from THE TIMES 22. 7.99
Scientists working on the genetic modification of trees believe they will soon have the technology to restore Britain's lost landscapes permitting the reintroduction of English elm. Dutch Elm disease provides a clear example of how genetic modification could be beneficial. Other species of elm are relatively resistant so it should, in theory, be possible to isolate that gene and introduce it to the English elm. Conservation scientists are also carrying out DNA analysis on black poplar in order that they can breed trees with greater genetic diversity increasing disease resistance in the search to rebuild the declining population of this species. Friends of the Earth warned that modifying trees could be an environmental disaster, with big companies using the technology to create vast plantations of high yielding trees for the timber industry. GM crops will have huge implications for biodiversity and as trees take longer to grow than crops they have longer to cause genetic pollution.
from THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 8.8.99
Correspondence
"Forestry" synonymous with dirty boots?
Alan Longman writes from Scotland:
With Prof Jeff Burley, I too have sensed a difficulty with the word "Forestry" and even felt obliged to remove the word "forest" in front of "tree" in naming my Tropical Tree Manuals*.
As a forester for 50 years, I find this is an extraordinary situation - imagine doctors or veterinary surgeons feeling compelled to hide their professions!
As well as the points raised by the President of IUFRO, I would identify three far reaching errors underlying our profession which may have contributed:
1 that forestry could be separated from other sorts of land-use, notably agriculture, and taught as a narrow discipline, often at odds with other uses;
2 that it was primarily a learnt practice, rather than springing out of basic biological science, so that "muddy boots" were more important than understanding the background
3 that economic predictions of wood yield should over-rule all other considerations, even though uses, techniques and markets were likely to change, despite the fact that forests and trees can provide multiple sustainable goods and benefits to the local inhabitants upon which they may depend for their survival.
Of course there are some important narrow facets of forestry - it needs a strong practical side and economics is a vital consideration. But serious weaknesses are caused when these are assumed paramount, or when approaches from one part of the world are assumed to hold elsewhere in quite different conditions. This is especially pertinent to the tropical forests, recognised for a number of decades as the most complex ecosystems in the world. How did we ever come to see the forester's task as replacing them with a pure stand of a single species? Why did agriculturists act as if the soil minus forests would be roughly the same as with them? Why did we largely neglect both the centuries-old local experience of land management and the newer scientific research on such topics as woodlands and hydrology and the key role of micro-organisms in nutrient recycling in mixed stands? How were trained professionals, aware of the importance of genetics in forest regeneration, persuaded to issue felling licences for creaming-off the best?
To a considerable extent, therefore, we may have earned our bad name.
Yet foresters need to escape from the present position and play our
proper role in the husbandry of many kinds of tree in the landscape.
This is partly because we have much information of value to add to that
which others have. Partly it is so because the pendulum has to-day swung
too far, so that, for example, a spotted owl now governs the
'management' of Oregon's forest reserves, in extraordinary contrast to
the former devotion to destructive logging. In the coming century could
we not help to steer a steadier course that would add to existing
knowledge about growing trees in diverse circumstances, rather than
flying off on extreme and untested courses.
*Tropical Trees:
Propagation and Planting Manuals. Commonwealth Science Council,
London.
CFNews invites contributions
Send them to the editor E-mail:
101656.1772@compuserve.com
CFA Facsimile: [+44]01865 275074. E.mail
cfa@plants.ox.ac.uk
CFA., Oxford Forestry Institute, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK.
This is a call to all foresters, to people concerned about forestry
- around the Commonwealth - in every country and organisation
university, forestry school, research station, company, association
interested in forestry - around the world.
A contribution may be
about the organisation, a particular initiative, activity or piece of
research or a descriptive piece, of interest to colleagues worldwide
about approaches, studies, problems or exciting features of your
forestry. We are asking for a very concise essay of not more than 250
words. Authors should provide their name and address and position in the
institution.
There is a book prize for the best essays received
from students, young researchers and young professional foresters.
A lively and participative CFA needs you!
Web site
Commonwealth Forestry News can be located on the Canadian CFA Website. The address is:- http://www.canadian-forests.com/cfa.html
The Publications Committee expresses its particular thanks to Ralph Roberts, John Roper and the Canadian branch for this support.
Web Link from IUFRO
A link to CF News has been made under http://iufro.boku.ac.at/iufro/secre/other.htm#G
from BRIGITTE BURGER, IUFRO
CFA Membership
Membership and Subscription rates
| £ | £ | |||
| Ordinary member | 45 | Corporate member | 120 | |
| Developing Country member | 10 | Subscriber | 100 | |
| Student member | 10 |
Membership is available to anyone throughout the world with an interest in forestry!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMONWEALTH FORESTRY
ASSOCIATION
Membership Application form
Oxford Forestry Institute
South Parks Road
Oxford OX1
3RB
UK
Type of Membership:
Ordinary____ Developing Country____ Student____ Corporate____ Subscriber____
Name...............................................................................................................................
Position............................................. Organisation............................................................
Address: ...........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................
Subscription may be paid by credit card - Visa/Master card Account Number ..............................
Expiry Date: .................................................
 |
 |