Pacific Islands >241,g:AID FORESTS & TREES (Incorporating SPRIG News and ACIAR Pacific Forestry Update) No.4/98 December 1998 1998 Heads of Forestry Meeting INSIDE The Heads of Forestry (HoFs) of 17 Pacific The USDA Forest Service's Institute of Island countries and territories (PICTs), and Pacific Islands Forestry, CIRAD-Foret, over 60 representatives of more than 20 FSPI, SPRIG, and other programmes 3 PIF&TSP Tripartite Review government, NGO, regional, international, and agencies should continue or increase UNDP Small Grants Scheme donor and other agencies met in Nadi, Fiji their collaboration with PIF&TSP, its New Staff Member from 21 - 25 September 1998, for the 8th client forestry agencies, and other Causes of Deforestation and Pacific Islands HoF meeting. The 7th HoF regional organizations to provide Forest Degradation Workshop meeting was held in 1996 in Port Vila, technical assistance to Pacific island 4 Traditional Medicine Workshop in Vanuatu. The Assistant Minister of states. Vanuatu Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests, Fiji, Mr. Agencies operating small grants COLP and RIH Workshop Lagisoa Delana, addressed and opened the programmes in the region should in Solomon Islands meeting. Mr Fred Muller of Marshall Islands coordinate to avoid duplication and to 5 Silviculture and RIH Workshop was elected chairperson and Mr Tavau Teii of refer rejected but worthy applications to in PNG Tuvalu vice chairperson of the meeting. more appropriate sources offunding. Vanuatu Endorses National Forest EU should review the standard financial Policy In the first two days, 22 papers were presented size of its projects and its mechanisms of Solomon Islands to End on "Regional and Other Initiatives in the financial assistance, to allow small Unsustainable Logging Forests and Trees Sector in the Pacific," and communities to request assistance. 6 Vanuatu Code of Logging on the third and fourth days, 20 papers were FAO member countries in the region Practice presented on "The Role of Forests and Trees should participate in the Sustainable Foundation for People and in Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change Forest Management and Information Community Development - PNG on Pacific Island Communities." The last day Exchange working groups organized 7 World Seed Programme was devoted to the discussion and adoption of under the Asia Pacific Forestry 8 SPRIG News the meeting report, and the tripartite review of Commission. SPRIG Update the PIF&TSP. Country reports and agency Financial and educational support for Training Course on Vegetative statements were distributed for information post -secondary education of Pacific Propagation of Tropical Forest only. Islanders in forestry and closely allied Tree Species fields should be a priority for assistance SPRIG/AusAID Breaking New The recommendations of the HoF meeting to the US -affiliated Pacific Islands. Ground in Tonga were as follows; Programmes to develop systems of 11 ACIAR Pacific Forestry Update information exchange, study tours, and Identifying Nutritional Constraints Sub -theme I: Partnerships and modes of short term training within the region to Tree Growth collaboration between governments, donors, should be maintained and expanded. Overcoming Iron Defeciency in regional programs and Non -Government Arrangements, should be made to ensure Eucalyptus degulupta - Nursery Organizations (NGOs) that HoFs are kept informed of Stock The transition of PIF&TSP from FAO to developments in the IFF process. 12 SPRIG Announcement SPC implementation should be well With the reduction of trade barriers, planned and adequately funded to avoid Pacific islands must implement interruption in momentum and activities, appropriate stumpage pricing, enforce especially its coordination (focal point/ codes of logging practice and allowable clearing house) role to maximize annual cuts, and competitively develop effectiveness of forestry assistance in the local processing industries, to develop QUOTE Pacific. their economies and sustainably manage The respective donors and authorities their natural resources. are strongly urged to support the A regional study should be initiated to There shall be peace on earth, but not until, continued contribution of forests and review the impact of World Trade All children daily eat their fill, trees to maintaining the development and Organization rules on the ability of Go warmly clad against the winter wind, livelihoods of PICTS and communities, Pacific Island countries to slow the And learn their lessons with a tranquil mind by providing funding support to the SPC depletion of their natural forest Forests and Trees Programme and resources and to achieve sustainable And thus released from hunger, fear and need, Regardless of their color, race or creed, national forests and trees programmes. forest management. Look upward smiling to the skies, The to seek PIF&TSP should continue Theirfaith in life reflected in their eyes. donor funding for the SPC Forests and Sub -theme 2: Partnerships and modes ( Trees programme activities after 1999. collaboration with communities al, The Children's Charter A sub -regional association or committee community -based non-governme, UN Women's Guild of atoll island states should be organizations (NGOs) established within the HoF body. (Continued on page December 1998 Pacific Islands Forests & Trees (Continued from page 1) Increased funding should be provided mangroves and assist in mobilizing both Fully participatory processes should be to extend market -based approaches to human and financial resources to used in project design, where sustainable natural resource promote an integrated approach to appropriate and feasible, to facilitate management to more countries. manage the mangrove resources. community development. National policy measures and Silvicultural research and management The participatory approach to incentives should be developed to programmes should be sufficiently development programmes may require encourage private and community flexible and adaptable to include native extended start-up times that must be investments in sustainable management species newly recognised as having included in project design and of existing forests and forest economic potential. programme schedules. plantations. A regional review of Codes of Logging The complementary role of NGOs to the Forestry agencies must periodically Practice should be conducted to see if efforts of government in community assess and redefine their roles and they are beingfollowed in the field development should be recognized, and working relationships with other A regional programme on sustainable closer cooperation and collaboration stakeholders in the forestry sector, to forest management, including the between government agencies and NGOs best contribute to sustainable economic development of methods for the should be encouraged development. rehabilitation of logged areas and Effective NGOs should extend their Annual training opportunities for atolls addressing forest certification issues, work and their models to more countries should be continued. Another should be initiated. The P1F&TSP is to strengthen the capabilities of local, agroforestry training workshop should urged to initiate steps in this direction. community-based NGOs. be held in 1999. Island countries must initiate and Grant programs offered to communities A project should be initiated to continue forest plantation programmes should have simple and concise proposal introduce, cultivate, harvest and market to reduce pressures on natural forest procedures and prompt processing and bamboos on atolls and high islands. resources. response mechanisms. A regional programme should be Projects should include plans to ensure Sub-theme 4: Reduced impact logging(RIL) initiated to develop methods for the that communities are able to continue All forestry agencies in the region afforestation of grassland areas. activities on their own after the external should be made aware that RIL Each country should periodically review inputs end. methods developed in Queensland, Fiji, inventories, growth & yield analyses, Conservation measures and Vanuatu, and other countries are and research and management conservation areas should continue to be available for use and modification by recommendations to bring allowable established with the full commitment and all. Innoprise should clarify the annual cuts, timber lease agreements involvement of local communities and implications of its placement of a trade and silvicultural prescriptions in line forestry agencies. mark on carbon sequestration with sustainable forest management. Where feasible, management quantification associated with RIL. Research on the silviculture of native recommendations for conservation Further assessments of the species, including conditions for natural should be expressed in traditional forms environmental and economic benefits of regeneration, fertilization, and growth of land management and enforced by RIL should be undertaken by the rates, should be incorporated into the traditional authorities.should be forestry agencies in the region. SPRIG or ACIAR programme. encouraged. Countries in the region should consider introducing RIL; RIL guidelines and Sub-theme 6: Forest genetic resources Sub-theme 3: Sustainable economic variable silvicultural prescriptions Many of the activities conducted under development suitable to the specific conditions of the SPRIG, such as institutional Subsistence and domestic needs and different countries should be developed.