FSC National Risk Assessment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FSC National Risk Assessment For Georgia DEVELOPED ACCORDING TO PROCEDURE FSC-PRO-60-002 V 3-0 Version V 1-0 Code FSC-NRA-GE V1-0 DRAFT National approval National decision body: Working Group of Georgia on FSC Standards (WGFS) Date: 15 APRIL 2016 International approval FSC International Center: Policy and Standards Unit Date: XX MONTH 201X International contact Name: Email address: Period of validity Date of approval: XX MONTH 201X Valid until: (date of approval + 5 years) Body responsible for NRA WGFS Georgia, Ilia Osepashvili, maintenance [email protected] FSC-NRA-GE V1-0 DRAFT NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR GEORGIA 2016 – 1 of 110 – Contents Risk designations in finalized risk assessments for Georgia ....................................................... 3 Background information .............................................................................................................. 4 List of experts involved in the risk assessment and their contact details ..................................... 5 National Risk Assessment maintenance ..................................................................................... 6 Complaints and disputes regarding the approved National Risk Assessment ............................. 7 List of key stakeholders for consultation ..................................................................................... 8 Risk assessments ....................................................................................................................... 9 Controlled wood category 1: Illegally harvested wood................................................................. 9 Overview ............................................................................................................................. 9 Sources of legal timber in Georgia .................................................................................... 11 Risk assessment (National level) ...................................................................................... 12 Recommended control measures ..................................................................................... 55 Controlled wood category 2: Wood harvested in violation of traditional and human rights ........ 57 Risk assessment ............................................................................................................... 57 Recommended control measures ..................................................................................... 57 Detailed analysis ............................................................................................................... 58 Controlled wood category 3: Wood from forests in which high conservation values are threatened by management activities ....................................................................................... 82 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 82 Experts consulted ............................................................................................................. 83 Risk assessment ............................................................................................................... 84 Mandatory control measures ............................................................................................. 99 Information sources ........................................................................................................ 102 Controlled wood category 4: Wood from forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use ............................................................................................................................................... 105 Risk assessment ............................................................................................................. 105 Recommended control measures ................................................................................... 107 Controlled wood category 5: Wood from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted ............................................................................................................................................... 108 Risk assessment ............................................................................................................. 108 Recommended control measures ................................................................................... 110 FSC-NRA-GE V1-0 DRAFT NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR GEORGIA 2016 – 2 of 110 – Risk designations in finalized risk assessments for Georgia Indicator Risk designation (including functional scale when relevant) Controlled wood category 1: Illegally harvested wood 1.1 Low risk 1.2 Low risk 1.3 Low risk 1.4 Specified risk 1.5 Low risk 1.6 Low risk 1.7 Low risk 1.8 Specified risk 1.9 Specified risk 1.10 Specified risk 1.11 Specified risk 1.12 Low risk 1.13 Low risk 1.14 Low risk 1.15 N/A 1.16 Low risk 1.17 Low risk 1.18 Low risk 1.19 Low risk 1.20 Low risk 1.21 N/A Controlled wood category 2: Wood harvested in violation of traditional and human rights 2.1 Low risk 2.2 Specified risk 2.3 Low risk Controlled wood category 3: Wood from forests where high conservation values are threatened by management activities 3.0 Low risk for forests within PAs; Specified risk for all other forests 3.1 Low risk for forests within PAs; Specified risk for all other forests 3.2 Low risk for forests within PAs; Specified risk for all other forests 3.3 Low risk for forests within PAs; Specified risk for all other forests 3.4 Low risk for forests within PAs; Specified risk for all other forests 3.5 Low risk for forests within PAs; Specified risk for all other forests 3.6 Low risk for forests within PAs and forests managed by the Georgian Orthodox Church; Specified risk for all other forests FSC-NRA-GE V1-0 DRAFT NATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR GEORGIA 2016 – 3 of 110 – Controlled wood category 4: Wood from forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use 4.1 Low risk Controlled wood category 5: Wood from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted 5.1 Low risk Background information Initially, the process of NRA development in Georgia started in September 2014. The first draft (before wide-scale stakeholder consultations) was developed by the end of December in the same year. The standards FSC-STD-40-005 V 2-1 and FSC-PRO-60-002 V2-0 were used as a guidance to this process. This draft took into consideration the opinions and positions of the members of the Working Group of Georgia on FSC Standards (WGFS, registered by FSC PSU on 4 July 2014). However, due to the introduction of new requirements by FSC with respect to CW NRA (i.e. the approval of FSC-PRO-60-002 V3-0, FSC-PRO-60-002a V1-0 and related documents), this process was suspended and the first draft was not approved by either WGFS or FSC. In the late summer of 2015, the process was renewed, based on the new FSC requirements, including Centralized NRA (CNRA) development. On the basis of decision of FSC, CNRA was launched for CW Categories 1, 2, 4 and 5 in Georgia. The NRA was to be conducted for Category 3. WGFS was assigned a role of the national decision body in this new process. The WGFS consists of six members, where each of the three chambers (social, environmental and economic) is represented by the two persons. The Coordinator of the group is Ilia Osepashvili, Senior Forest Officer of WWF-Caucasus Programme Office (WWF-CauPO). WWF-CauPO financially supports the NRA process in Georgia within the framework of the regional Program “European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument East Countries Forest Law Enforcement and Governance II” (FLEG II). The program is financially supported by the European Commission and Austrian development Agency. The WGFS consists of the following members (further information about the WGFS members and the Coordinator, including contact details, is given in the Proposal for development of the FSC National Risk Assessment for Georgia, dated June 2015): Social chamber: Mr. Tamaz Tskhakaia and Mr. Nikoloz Burduli; Environmental chamber: Ms. Natia Iordanishvili and Mr. Irakli Macharashvili; Economic chamber: Mr. Malkhaz Rogava and Mr. Mamuka Khoshtaria. The initial draft on CNRA for Category 2, developed by the consultant hired by FSC, was received by the Coordinator of WGFS in September 2015. The English version was translated into Georgian and both versions were sent to the working group for comments. The comments from the WGFS were received at the beginning of November 2015. The representatives of environmental and economic chamber (one working group member from each chamber) made comments on Indicator 2.1, for which “Low Risk” had been assigned. Without challenging the assigned category of risk, they raised concern related to human rights. Specifically, the villagers living in the close proximity to administrative boundary of South Ossetia are under constant threat of being kidnapped by the Ossetian separatist militiamen (backed by the military of the Russian Federation) when collecting fuelwood in the forests surrounding their villages. These villagers are being accused by the separatists of crossing the “state border of the South Ossetian republic”. These individual cases, though, cannot be regarded as a basis for changing the category from “low” to “specified” risk. Abkhazia and South Ossetia were not included into the NRA, because these two regions are not presently de facto controlled by the Georgian Government. These regions are recognized as integral