Funded by: World Bank and WWF Global Forest Alliance Copyright © PNG FSC Inc. (Papua New Guinea Forest Stewardship Council Incorporated) - 2006. This publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying or recording; provided, PNG FSC Inc is acknowledged as source. Native man, Tree Kangaroo, Native Birds and Orchid photos on the cover is copyrighted to © Brent Stirton/ Getty Images/ WWF-UK Produced by WWF South Pacific/ Comms. Unit/ Wyse Tabuavou - 2005 High Conservation Value Forest Toolkit ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This HCVF Toolkit was developed through the generous support and contributions from the following people: Alimel Bellet, Arison Arihafa, Biatus Bito, Elizabeth Tongne, Forova Oavika, Henry Kawas, James Sabi, Jeff Hayward, Jim Copland, Kanawi Pouru, Katayo Sagata, Leo Salas, Magdeline Maihua, Micheal Avosa, Paul Chatterton, Peter Dam, Peter Tutuai, Ripa Karo, Ruby Yamuna, Sander van den Ende, Simon Passingan, Steven Sukot, Ted Mamu and Thomas Paka. The HCVF National Working Group (NWG) would also extend their graditude and acknowledgement for the support and valuable input from the following key partners and stakeholders; PNG Forest Authority, PNG Forest Research Institute, Department of Environment and Conservation, FORCERT, Eco-Forestry Forum, Wildlife Conservation Society, Rainforest Alliance, SmartWood, East New Britain Social Eksen Komiti, BareFoot, Industry Participants and other NGOs and Community Based Organisations (CBOs). The NWG would also like to thank the peer reviewers for their critical input into the first and second drafts of the HCVF Toolkit. We also acknowledge World Bank and WWF Global Forest Alliance for the financial assistance and the support towards the development of the HCVF Toolkit. The endorsement of the drafts of the HCVF Toolkit from the PNG FSC National Standards Working Group is acknowledged and the recognition given to the toolkit to be used in Papua New Guinea as a tool to achieve compliance with Principle 9 of the FSC National Forest Management Standards. Papua New Guinea FSC National Initiative, WWF Papua New Guinea, c/o Foundation for People & Community P.O Box 8280, Development, Boroko, NCD, P.O Box 1119 Papua New Guinea Boroko, NCD, Papua New Guinea iii High Conservation Value Forest Toolkit TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................................................................. iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................. V 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 WHAT ARE HIGH CONSERVATION VALUES AND HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE FORESTS? ......................................................... 1 1.2 WHAT IS THE HCVF TOOLKIT? ................................................................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 HOW WAS THE PAPUA NEW GUINEA HCVF TOOLKIT DEVELOPED? ................................................................................................ 3 1.4 CONSULTING EXPERTS AND DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIPS ............................................................................................................. 4 1.5 PRECAUTIONARY APPROACH ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 1.6 HOW DOES THIS TOOLKIT WORK? ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. HCV1. FOREST AREAS CONTAINING GLOBALLY, REGIONALLY OR NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT CONCENTRATIONS OF BIODIVERSITY VALUES (E.G. ENDEMISM, ENDANGERED SPECIES, REFUGIA) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 HCV1.1 PROTECTED AREAS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6 HCV1.2 CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES ............................................................................................................................................... 7 HCV1.3 CONCENTRATIONS OF ENDEMIC SPECIES .................................................................................................................................... 10 HCV 1.4 CRITICAL TEMPORAL CONCENTRATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 13 3. HCV2. FOREST AREAS CONTAINING GLOBALLY, REGIONALLY, OR NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT LARGE LANDSCAPE LEVEL FORESTS, CONTAINED WITHIN, OR CONTAINING THE MANAGEMENT UNIT, WHERE VIABLE POPULATION OF MOST, IF NOT ALL NATURALLY OCCURRING SPECIES EXIST IN NATURAL PATTERNS OR DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE ............................................................ 15 4. HCV3. FOREST AREAS THAT ARE IN OR CONTAIN RARE, THREATENED OR ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEMS ............................................................................................................................................................ 18 5. HCVF4. FOREST AREAS THAT PROVIDE BASIC SERVICES OF NATURE IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS (E.G. WATERSHED PROTECTION, EROSION CONTROL) ..................................................................................... 20 HCV4.1 FORESTS CRITICAL TO WATER CATCHMENTS ............................................................................................................................. 20 HCV4.2 FORESTS CRITICAL TO EROSION CONTROL ................................................................................................................................. 22 HCV4.3 FORESTS PROVIDING CRITICAL BARRIERS TO DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.......................................................................................... 23 6. HCV5. FOREST AREAS FUNDAMENTAL TO MEETING BASIC NEEDS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES (E.G. SUBSISTENCE, HEALTH) AND CRITICAL TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES' TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITY (AREAS OF CULTURAL, ECOLOGICAL, ECONOMIC OR RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE IN COOPERATION WITH SUCH LOCAL COMMUNITIES) ........................................................................................... 25 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................ 32 GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 33 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39 APPENDIX 1 - LIST OF IUCN LISTED CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES, ENDANGERED AND DATA DEFICIENT IN PNG ............ 42 APPENDIX 2 - LIST OF PNG CITES I ............................................................................................................................................................... 45 APPENDIX 3- LIST OF ENDEMIC BIRD AND MAMMAL SPECIES AND THEIR LOCATION BY ECOREGION IN PNG (WIKRA MANAYAKE, 2002) ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 46 APPENDIX 4- A LIST OF RECOGNIZED SPECIES THAT MAY ACT AS INDICATORS OF LARGE-SCALE ECO-LOGICAL PROCESSES ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 APPENDIX 5- WATER CONTROL DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED UNDER THE ENVIRONMENT ACT 2000 ........................................................ 62 APPENDIX 6 - LIST OF EXPERT CONSULTANTS FOR ONSITE ASSESSMENTS ....................................................................................... 63 APPENDIX 7 - LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS FOR PEER REVIEWING .............................................................................................................. 67 APPENDIX 8 - THE VEGETATION TYPES OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA ........................................................................................................... 72 APPENDIX 9 - THREATENED TREES OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA ................................................................................................................. 76 APPENDIX 10 - HIGHLY THREATENED SPECIES IN ENDEMIC BIRD AREAS OF PNG............................................................................. 81 APPENDIX 11 - MAP OF PROTECTED AREAS IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA .................................................................................................... 83 iv High Conservation Value Forest Toolkit Copyright © Brent Stirton/ Getty Images/ WWF-UK A river weaving its way through the dense forest in the East Sepik province, Papua New Guinea. Forest loss in the other parts of the whole means that Papua