Review of the B21 Forest sector work from 19992003

1
Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Gerimantas GaigalasMinistry of Environment,
Department of ForestsAddress Juozapaviciaus st.
9, LT-2005Vilnius Lithuania Phone 370 5
2728275Fax [phone]E-mail
g.gaigalas_at_am.lt
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
2
Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003

• Structure of the Presentation
• Baltic 21 process in the International context
• Forest sector within Baltic 21
• Situation at the beginning of the process
• Main objectives of the Forest sector
• Action Program
• Implementation of the Action Program
• Forest sector activities
• Problems
• Conclusions

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
UNITED NATION SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Rio
Declaration and the global Agenda 21, adopted in
1992 at the United Nations Conference on
Environmental Development, UNCED, outlined a
comprehensive action plan for the global
transition to sustainable development
Johannesburg Conference, 2002
Rio de Janeiro Conference, 1992
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Nordic cooperation,strategy for sustainable
development
Sustainable development in Europe
Baltic 21process,Action Program
Pan-European process,EU strategy on sustainable
development
Cooperation around Mediterranean see
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Baltic 21 process
The initiative and the process to develop and
implement a regional Agenda 21 for the Baltic
Sea Region in order to attain sustainable
development in the region
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Baltic 21 process

• Presidency Declaration from the Baltic Sea
  States Summit , 1996 (Visby, Sweden)
• Fifth Ministerial Session of the Council of the
  Baltic Sea States, 1996 (Kalmar, Sweden)
• Meeting of the Baltic Ministers of Environment,
  1996 (Saltsjöbaden, Sweden)

Adopted by the Foreign Ministers at the meeting
of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, 1998
(Nyborg, Denmark).
Agenda 21
Agriculture
Education
Energy
Fisheries
Forests
Industry
Tourism
Transport
Spatial Planning
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
International framework of the Forest sector

• International agreements
• UNCED (Forest Principles)
• IPF / IFF proposal for actions
• Pan-European process
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Convention on Climate Change
• HELCOM (Convention) and etc.
• Cooperation with International organizations
• FAO
• UN / ECE
• EU
• Nordic Council of Ministers and etc.

Forest sector
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Specific features of the forest sector

• The Baltic See region has a high proportion of
  forested land
• In the northern part of the region forest
  constitute a major renewable natural resource of
  great economic value.
• Only isolated fragments are natural forests
  since forests in the region have been influenced
  by human settlements and action.
• The management of forests in the region has a
  long and diverse history
• Forest restitution process in eastern Baltic
  countries and changes in ownership structure
• Economic development of eastern Baltic countries

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Scheme of implementation of sustainable forest
management in Baltic region
Current situation (1996)
Situation in 2030
Existing Gaps
The stewardship and use of forests and forests
land in a way, and at a rate, that maintains
their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration
capacity, vitality, and their 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
Objectives
Action Program
Implementation
Monitoring
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Areas where the most gaps and problems in
sustainable forest development were found
1. Legal and policy frameworks, that support
sustainable forest management 2. Institutional
frameworks 3. Education, extension and
training 4. Criteria and indicators for
sustainable forest management 5. Environmental
aspects of sustainable forest management 5.1
Maintenance of biodiversity in sustainable forest
management 5.2 Forest conservation areas
5.3 Water quality in forests 5.4 Prevention
damages to forests (pollution and other) 5.5
Forest management and landscape planning 6.
Research 7. Forest and environment inventories
and statistics 8. Use of wood-based energy
9. Socio-economic and cultural issues 10.
Sustainably produced wood and forest products,
and sustainable consumption patterns
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
PRIORITY AREAS FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION
1. Promotion of sustainable forest management and
efficiency in private forestry within the Baltic
Sea region
2. A gap analysis on forest conservation areas in
the Baltic Sea Region
3. Establishment of demonstration areas to
illustrate ways and means of forest management
practices and planning to promote sustainable
forest management
4. Establishment of a regional group for
exchanging experiences and technological know-how
on, and promoting use of wood-based energy
5. Promotion of the use of wood and wood-based
products as a natural renewable resource and
environmentally friendly material, and changing
of consumption patterns in a more sustainable
direction
6. Exchange of information and national
experiences on Criteria and Indicators for
sustainable forest management
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
WG1
Organizational structure of the Forest sector
WG2
Leading countries (Latvia and Sweden) Finland
and Lithuania
WG3
Forest sector meeting
SOG
WG4
Bureau (Latvia, Sweden, Finland and Lithuania)
WG5
WG6
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Forms of activities in the Forest sector

• Building the network
• Education and exchange projects
• Model projects
• Research and development projects
• Public awareness campaigns
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Brochures and other publications

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Forest sector meetings

• Baltic 21 Forestry Workshop 3-4 November 1997,
  Helsinki, Finland
• Baltic 21 Forest Sector Workshop, 3-4 November
  1998, Vilnius, Lithuania
• Baltic 21 Forest Sector Network Meeting, 27-29
  September 1999, Swed
• Baltic 21 Forest Sector Meeting, 11-13 September
  2000, Espoo, Finland
• Baltic 21 Forest Sector Meeting, 26-28 September
  2001, Sagadi, Estonia
• Baltic 21 Forest Sector Meeting, 28 September -
  1 October 2002, Hamburg, Germany
• Baltic 21 Forest Sector Meeting, 19-22 October
  2003, Sigulda, Latvia

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
FO 1. Promotion of sustainable forest management
and efficiency in private forestry within the
Baltic Sea region

• Project development
• "Support to Sustainable Family Forestry in the
  Baltic Region"
• Estonian-Finnish-German project "Strategies for
  Sustainable Management and Economical Development
  of Small Scale Private Forest Enterprises in
  Baltic States"
• Estonian-Finish project "Development of
  Sustainable Forest Management in Estonian Private
  Forests with the Help of Forest Certification"
• The Need for Information and Training by
  Estonian Private Forest Owners Development of
  Strategies for Extension Services and Training to
  Enhance Sustainable Forest Management
• Lithuanian Swedish project Training of
  forestry extension personnel and establishment of
  demonstration areas for extension of sustainable
  forest management in private forests in
  Lithuania
• Building capacity for forest extension services
  at the Latvian State Forest Service to promote
  sustainable forest management in private forests
  of Latvia
• It was proposed that FO1 merge its activities
  with FO3, and they would thus constitute a single
  group.

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
FO2. A gap analysis on forest conservation areas
in the Baltic Sea Region

• Two project ideas were developed 1) the
  preparation of a publication with contributions
  of the participating countries on examples for
  SFM or demonstration areas networks and 2) the
  preparations of a manual with recommendations on
  how demonstration areas could be established.
• The ongoing Finnish-Estonian-Latvian-Lithuanian
  "Baltic Forest Mapping" project by WWF was
  introduced.
• The project idea was presented "Comparative
  Analyses on Protected Areas in Baltic See Region"
  originally outlined by WWF Finland.
• FO2 was given "a second chance", which means that
  it has one year to organise its activities and
  find a chairperson. If there is no progress by
  the next Forest Sector meeting, the group should
  be closed down.

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
FO3. Establishment of demonstration areas to
illustrate ways and means of forest management
practices and planning to promote sustainable
forest management
Project proposal Support to sustainable family
forestry in the Baltic Sea Region The group
presented its project proposal in the 2001 Forest
Sector meeting and the proposal was accepted.
However, thus far the project has not been able
to get any funding, so the group has functioned
as an advisory group. Lithuanian Swedish
project Training of forestry extension
personnel and establishment of demonstration
areas for extension of sustainable forest
management in private forests in Lithuania It
was proposed that FO3 merge its activities with
FO1, and they would thus constitute a single
group.
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
FO4. Establishment of a regional group for
exchanging experiences and technological know-how
on, and promoting use of wood-based energy

• Project proposal "Education campaign to verify
  the potential profitability in utilisation of
  wood energy"
• Project proposal "Use of forest energy and
  security of supply of wood energy in Lithuania"
• Lithuanian-Swedish project Wood Fuel Development
  in Lithuania".
• FO4 could continue to exist as a network. If no
  activities take place by the next Forest Sector
  meeting, the working group should be closed down.
  

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
FO5. Promotion of the use of wood and wood-based
products as a natural renewable resource and
environmentally friendly material, and changing
of consumption patterns in a more sustainable
direction

• Promotion of the use of wood, and wood based
  products current situation, objectives,
  strategy, implementation and analyses
• The basic strategy is the intensified research
  and development, broad communication of wood as
  ecological material (including certification and
  LCA) for positive image for wood, and design and
  implementation of new integrated production
  systems.
• Special seminars on wood promotion, for
  instance (house construction, LCA) in 2002 and
  etc.
• Final report published in October 2001
• Proposed an organization structure for joint
  wood promotion in the Baltic Sea Region
• FO 5 will apparently continue its activities as
  a network. The group will explore for
  possibilities for establishing a North European
  wood promotion network within the Baltic Sea
  Region
• FO5 has fulfilled its mandate and presented a
  final report Waiting for the new mandate.

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
FO6. Exchange of information and national
experiences on Criteria and Indicators for
sustainable forest management

• Proposed project idea The project would target
  1) Establishing the information system for
  monitoring of sustainable forest management 2)
  Exchange information and experiences via training
  and field trips on monitoring sustainable forest
  management 3) Setting up GIS based and IT based
  set of common indicators in order to measure
  developments, real changes in forest management.
• Proposed issues improving co-operation between
  Baltic forestry institutions and drafting
  forestry standards, international conferences on
  sustainable forest management in Baltic Sea
  Region and editing and running web page for FO6.
• It was agreed that the tasks of the working
  group remains as informative, raising the level
  of knowledge of the criteria and indicators in
  the Baltic Sea Region as well as distributing
  information of CI to the countries and between
  the countries.
• Sharing experiences on certification is one of
  the FO6 working group activities and stressed the
  usefulness of forest certification as the tool to
  promote sustainable forest management.
• A conference on forest certification organized
  by the Estonian Institute for Sustainable
  Development will take place in Estonia on the
  15-17th of November, 2001.
• It was recommended that FO6 be closed down
  because there is similar work under way at the
  MCPFE level. Another option would be to
  restructure the FO6.

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Other activities

• Fund rising project development in B21
• SAPARD program, World Bank, GEF, WWF, IDF
  (institutional development
• fund), bilateral donors, EU,
  other international financing institutions.
• Co-operation with the Northern Dimension
  (Barents Euro-Arctic Co-operation), Interreg
• IIIB other processes and etc.
• Baltic 21 umbrella, B21 project labeling
• Spreading of information about Baltic 21 Forest
  sector activities
• Reporting
• Rotation
• Seminars on Forestry issues

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Difficulties and problems occurred

• Project development - Fund rising
• Monitoring of the Implementation of the Action
  Program
• Uneduaqate level of working group activities
• Often changes of the members and leaders in the
  working groups

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Conclusions

• One of the main benefits of the Baltic 21 Forest
  Sector has been the network and the contacts
  created through these meetings
• Further development of sustainable forest
  management is still a crucial subject
• Involving more non-governmental institutions and
  organizations in the forest sector activities
• Increasing cooperation with other international
  processes

Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003
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Review of the B21 Forest sector work from
1999-2003
Gerimantas GaigalasMinistry of Environment,
Department of ForestsAddress Juozapaviciaus st.
9, LT-2005Vilnius Lithuania Phone 370 5
2728275Fax [phone]E-mail
g.gaigalas_at_am.lt
Forest sector meeting, SIGULDA, LATVIA 19th
22nd OCTOBER 2003