Title: Forestry Management Plans and Community Efforts to Stop Deforestation
1Forestry Management Plans and Community Efforts
to Stop Deforestation
Sandra Rodriguez-PiƱeros sandra.rodriguez_at_okstate.
edu
2Forest in Afghanistan
- Total area 650,000 Km2
- Forest 2
- Old growth (Southeast)
- Softwood (farm woodlots)
- Pistachio trees
- Irrigate land 5
- Range land and Deserts 84
3Forest Sector Problems
- High rates of deforestation (71 from 1977-2002)
- Increase in population who depend on fuel-wood
- Warlords took control of the forest
- Overgrazing because Nomads tribes depend on goat
production - Illegal market of timber
- Lack of expertise in forestry
- Lack of central authority
- Extreme poverty
- Soil erosion
4Timber Production
460 US dollars
Timber goes to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
15 years left !!!
5Saving Afghanistan Forest
The latest news I have seen is of University Of
British Columbia forestry professor Gary Bulls
forest management project for Nuristan, funded by
USAID and in cooperation with the New York-based
Wildlife Conservation Society. The project is in
the initial survey phase but seems quite
interesting since it combines the science of
forestry with the sorta science of sociology to
come up with forest management solutions that
conserve while not impacting locals into negative
fashion.
6Relation human - trees
300-year-old sacred pistachio tree protected by
local communities near Narop
7Quote from a soldier
- The residents turned out to be very
dignified, yet friendly people, struggling to
recover from the adverse circumstances of the
past thirty years.
8The convenient truth social reforestation
- It enhances forest health
- It improves environmental benefits (air, water,
reduces erosion) - It helps to mitigate poverty
- It reduces illegal crops production
- Contributes to social stability
9The convenient truth social reforestation
- It creates jobs (tree nursery, planting
activities) - It produces stable supply of fuelwood, charcoal
and other non-timber products
- It helps to re-establish a sustainable forest
industry (timber) and tourism
10Is Sustainable Forest Management possible in
Afghanistan?
Social
Ecological
Economic
Capra falconeri
11Sustainable Forest Management Puebla, Mexico
12La Preciosita Sangre de Cristo
- Founded 1840
- Location 39 miles due east of Mexico City and 33
miles northwest of Puebla - Altitude 7000 feet
- Population 200 families
- 850 individuals, but only 600 are resident
- Rest in the US
- Forest Owners (legal title holders) 100
families (99 men, 1 woman)
13Satellite View of the Community
14View of Forest and Community
15Forest View from Hilltop
16Closer View
17Natural Pine Regeneration
18Story of the Sacred Tree
- 15th Century
- Wealthy Spanish landowner and Tlaxcalteca servant
on horseback caught in sudden downpour and swept
downstream in flash flood - Servant prayed, Please, precious blood of
Christ, save us - Rivers current took them to an oak tree, which
they grabbed and were saved saw image of Christ
in the bark (oak tree still there) - Hence, name of church, and later its surrounding
settlement Precious Little Blood of Christ
19The Sacred Tree
20Church Entrance
21Church Altar with Bark with the Image of the
Crucifixion from the Sacred Tree
22Church View of the Altar
23Subsequent Miracle
- In 2007, a chronically ill girl (15 years old)
while walking in the forest, heard a womans
voice. When she turned in the direction of the
voice, she saw the image of the Virgin Mary in
the shadows. She miraculously recovered within a
week of the vision. Since then, an altar was
constructed on the site - This confirms the importance of the forest and
its trees to the community spiritual, aesthetic,
some economic, community pride
24Community Ownership of Forest
- Priest inherited the forest from his father, a
land baron - He sold the forest (1038 acres) to the community
for a very modest price in 1972 - Community looks on this transaction as a blessed
gift from God - Therefore, community is obliged to preserve the
forest for posterity
25Local Forest Caretaker
26Committee Meeting to Discuss How to Build More
Efficient Stoves
27Committee Meeting to View Medicinal Herb Garden
28Forest Museum
29Forest Museum Wall
30Burned Truck Outside of Museum
31Current Plan A Harvesting Schedule
- Current plan written and adopted in 2006 by the
SEMARNAT (Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos
Naturales), Estado de Puebla - This plan is essentially a tree-harvesting and
replanting schedule, administered through a
permitting system - Plan does not consider harvesting non-timber
products
32Harvested Pine Log
33Involvement of OSU
- Most community citizens opposed the forest
management plan - They approached Universidad Popular Autonoma del
Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) for their help - UPAEP, having no forestry program, asked
OSU-DASNR to help under an existing MOU
34Sustainable Forest Management
- Stewardship and use of forests and forest lands
in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their
biodiversity, productivity, regeneration
capacity, vitality, and potential to fulfill, now
and in the future, relevant ecological, economic,
and social functions at local, national, and
global levels, and that does not cause damage to
other ecosystems. - FAO (1996)
35How do you related to the forest?
Q-Method
36Q - Findings
Forest Conservation Many benefits (econ
spiritual), no timber harvesting and grazing,
community management
Community Development Maximize econ. (tourism
and timber), Provide jobs, commitment to protect
forest as an asset, professional management
Family Recreation Place for family recreation,
community Management, I am willing to help
Sustenance Many benefits mostly spiritual,
professional management
37Agreements - Dissagreements
Community Development
Conservation
Protection
38Plan for Tourism
Now?
39Criteria and Indicators of SFM
- To monitor progress toward SFM
- Green-certification
- International
- Temperate (CIFOR-NA)
- Tropical forest
- National
- Regional
- Local
40(No Transcript)
41Knowledge and Deliberation
42Analysis Technical Education
Educated residents on ecological and economic
impacts of each alternative
- Q Plan (manage for community use and public
tourism, with regulated timber removal and
professional and community co-management)
Q Plan
Status quo
Current Plan
43(No Transcript)
44Deliberation Process
- Group discussion about the 3 alternatives to
explore potential for reaching an agreement - Encouraged free discussion (objections welcomed)
- Deliberation ended when no further objections
were raised and participants agreed to the
summary of their discussion
The consensus alternative was the Q alternative,
with no small-business uses
45Q-Plan
46Lessons
- What do we value?
- Are these findings from Mexico replicable in
other country? - Why is important to include peoples values in
resources management? - Do we need to be listened? Why?
- Can women be involved in forestry projects?
47The Convenient Truth
I also wish that you plant a seed and watch its
growth, So you will know how many lives a tree
is made of. - Victor Hugo -
48Acknowledgments
- Dr. David K. Lewis
- Dr. Will Focht
- OSU - DASNR
- UPAEP and UPAEP Liaison office OSU
- Community of La Preciosita
- Dr. Diane Montgomery
- Dr. Art Stoecker
- Dr. Beth Caniglia
- Dr. Ed Miller
- Mr. Agustin Landa
- Rodolfo Lopez
- Talya Henderson
- Mr. James Esbenshade
- Forestry Department Colegio de Posgraduados,
Texcoto - Mrs. Carol Collins
- Mr. Jason Abercrombie
- Li Chi Lin Ph.D. Candidate
- Trecia Kippola Ph.D. Candidate
- Carolina Lara Visconti Ph.D. Candidate