USDA Forest Service Mission, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
USDA Forest Service Mission to Madagascar In Support for the Development Of a Management Plan for Manadaratsy Pine Plantation, Fianarantsoa FINAL REPORT Mission Dates: June 2 – 20, 2007 Report Submitted by: David Maercklein Hiawatha National Forest USDA Forest Service, Northeast Region 2727 N. Lincolin Road Escanaba, Michigan (906) 789-3301 [email protected] Table of Contents SCOPE OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 3 BACKGROUND 3 MISSION OBJECTIVES 3 MISSION ACTIVITIES 4 DELIVERABLES 4 MISSION ITINERARY 4 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PLANTATIONS OF HAUTE-MATSIATRA 6 Purpose of a Management Plan 6 I. HAUTE-MATSIATRA MANAGEMENT DIRECTION 6 A. Vegetation Management 6 B. Fuels Management 7 C. Water Management 8 D. Soils 9 II. PERIMETER MANAGEMENT DIRECTION 9 A. Mandaratsy 9 1. Vegetation Management 9 2. Fire and Fuels Management 10 3. Water Management 10 B. The other Perimeters (Ambalakindresy, Ambatovaky, Ampamaherana, Andoharanomaitso, Androy, Fanandrana, Lakera, Mahazoarivo, Ranomainty, Sahanimira, Sahatona, Sangasanga) 11 III. MONITORING 11 IV. APPENDIX 12 A. Management Issues 12 B. Monitoring Guide (Example) 12 C. Definitions 13 MONITORING QUESTION COMPONENTS DEFINITIONS 14 RECOMMENDATIONS 16 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 17 REFERENCES 18 LIST OF ACCRONYMS 18 Page 2 of 19 SCOPE OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE The focus of this technical assistance effort will be to provide a Plan d’Amenagment du Perimetre de Reboisement de Manadaratsy, Fianarantsoa and a framework for all the other plantations of Upper Matsiatra. This assistance will provide recommendations to development of the management plan and may include specific implementation options as well as areas where additional study may be beneficial. BACKGROUND As with many other tropical countries, deforestation is the major environmental issue in Madagascar. Recent studies estimate that between 100,000 and 150,000 hectares of natural closed forest disappear every year. Faced with this alarming trend, in 2003 the President of the Republic stated the intention of his government to increase the country’s protected areas from 1.7 to 6 million hectares. This Durban Vision was materialized at the end of 2004 by a cabinet order suspending the issuance of permits for forest logging and mining in the new protected areas (approximately 6 million hectares). Through these drastic measures, Madagascar has made rapid progress towards the development of new protected areas. The PE3 mission, however, has found that this approach to forest resource conservation focused on critical ecosystem protection and did not adequately address the issues of sound and sustainable management and forest ecosystem restoration. Experiences have shown that massive extension of protected areas will not allow all critical key ecosystems to be preserved. In many areas, forest ecosystem degradation and fragmentation have advanced to such a degree that sustainable protection and management are no longer sufficient actions to ensure the conservation of these areas, and, therefore, they need to be complemented with restoration actions. Timber forest resource use and demand is increasing for construction at the national level (approximately 4 million cubic meters per year) and represents a major source of income for millions of people living in rural areas. Depriving them of these sources of income may oblige them to shift to income generating activities much more harmful to forest ecosystems such as land clearance for cash crops. In contrast, sustainable management of protected areas has the advantage of generating tangible benefits for those involved and contributing to rural development, which significantly enhances motivation to conserve the resources. Within this context DGEF (Direction Générale des Eaux et Forêts) has initiated the concept of KoloAla sites for sustainable forest management. This initiative is to be understood as an integral part of efforts to conserve forest resources as well as a complement to the activities for protecting and restoring forest ecosystems. In addition, it focuses on improved forest sector involvement in rural areas through professional, efficient, and sustainable use of timber and non-timber forest resources. Within this framework for forest management, the JariAla team is actively involved in helping develop KoloAla sites. For the success of these efforts, the involvement of an USFS expert in sustainable forest management is desired to assist the Fianarantsoa CIREEF and a national forest consulting firm in developing a general management plan for the Mandaratsy plantation perimeter in the Upper Matsiatra area. This management plan will serve as foundation for the transfer of management of the Mandaratsy PR (management agreement or leasing arrangement) to a private operator through competitive bidding but should also serve as a model for the development of other management plans in natural and plantation forests atn different KoloAla sites. MISSION OBJECTIVES A USDA Forest Service funded mission of a USDA Forest Service professional was undertaken during June 1 – 20, 2007. The mission professional was: David Maercklein – Forest Planner, USDA Forest Service, Hiawatha National Forest, Northeastern Region Page 3 of 19 The overall objective of this mission is to take part in sustainable forest resource development and use in the Fianarantsoa CIREEF in accordance with forest zoning through the setting up of several KoloAla sites for sustainable and sound management within the Perimeters for Reforestation in the High Matsiatra region (PRHM). The specific objectives of this technical assistance mission are as follows: • Review the social, environmental, silvicultural and economic information concerning the Mandaratsy pine plantation. • Supporting the development of an overall forest management for the Mandaratsy reforestation perimeter to be used as a basis for management transfer to private operators. • Train Malagasy Forest Service (CIREEF) staff in the development of sustainable forest management plans and developing one plan that can serve as a model for other sites MISSION ACTIVITIES In order to meet the above objectives the USFS consultant will carry out the following tasks: • Review existing documents about the history and management of the High Matsiatra pine plantations in general and particularly the Mandaratsy reforestation perimeter. • Develop a broad methodology for the development of a forest management plan covering the Mandaratsy pine plantation. • Review social, environmental, silvicultural and economic data concerning the High Matsiatra reforestation perimeters and the Mandaratsy plantation collected by a national consulting firm. • Assist the CIREEF and the national consulting firm in developing a long term forest management plan for the Mandaratsy reforestation perimeter. • Assist in the presentation of the management plan to the CIREEF, partners and stakeholders. DELIVERABLES The consultant will provide a report containing the following elements: o Description of tasks completed during the mission o A management plan with table of contents o A description of key constraints impeding successful implementation of the management plan and next steps for plan implementation o Assessment of the CIREEF’s capacity to elaborate additional plans and an identification of key capacity building needs, including future support activities the USFS could implement MISSION ITINERARY Date Activities Participants • Travel to Madagascar June 1 to 3 David Maercklein • Arrival in Tana Sunday 9h55 PM David Maercklein • Briefing with DGEF DGEF: DG, DPB, SESPAF Monday, June 4 • Meeting with JariAla and SAVAIVO staff USAID: Lisa • Briefing with USAID SAVAIVO: Andry JariAla: Christian, Ranto Page 4 of 19 • Meeting on forest management planning with David Maercklein DGEF, JariAla and SAVAIVO DGEF: DPB, SESPAF Tuesday, June 5 • Meeting on management of the Mandaratsy SAVAIVO: Andry perimeter with SAVAIVO and JariAla JariAla: Christian, Ranto David Maercklein Wednesday, June 6 • Travel to Fianarantsoa SAVAIVO: Andry • Meeting with CIREEF staff and regional David Maercklein stakeholders (ERI, etc.) CIREEF : Chef CIREEF, Etienne Thursday, June 7 • Review of available information about the SAVAIVO: Andry Mandaratsy plantations JariAla: Bako David Maercklein CIREEF : Chef CIREEF, Etienne Friday, June 8 • Field visit to Mandaratsy pine plantations SAVAIVO: Andry JariAla: Bako David Maercklein Saturday, June 9 • Visit to E&F tree nurseries CIREEF : Chef CIREEF, Etienne JariAla: Bako • Visit south of Ambrava to small village David Maercklein Sunday, June 10 managed Lemur reserve and wood CIREEF : Chef CIREEF, Etienne transforming enterprises. JariAla: Bako David Maercklein • Support CIREEF and SAVAIVO in working Monday, June 11 CIREEF : Chef CIREEF on Mandaratsy management plan SAVAIVO: Andry David Maercklein • Support CIREEF and SAVAIVO in working Tuesday, June 12 CIREEF : Chef CIREEF on Mandaratsy management plan SAVAIVO: Andry David Maercklein • Support CIREEF and SAVAIVO in working Wednesday, June 13 CIREEF : Chef CIREEF, Etienne on Mandaratsy management plan SAVAIVO: Andry • Support CIREEF and SAVAIVO in working on Mandaratsy management plan David Maercklein • Assist preparations of a presentation of CIREEF : Chef CIREEF, Etienne Thursday, June 14 planned management activities to regional SAVAIVO: Andry stakeholders Chef de Région Haute Matsiatra • Breifing with Chef de Région Haute Matsiatra • Support CIREEF and SAVAIVO in working on Mandaratsy management plan. David Maercklein Friday, June 15 • Assist preparations