JANUARY 2009 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development and was prepared by ARD, Inc. LAND RIGHTS AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM ELEVENTH QUARTERLY REPORT: 1 JULY–30 SEPTEMBER 2010 OCTOBER 2010 ThisAPRIL publication 2009 was produced for review by the United States Agency for InternationalThis publication Development was produced and was for preparedreview by by the Tetra United Tech States ARD. Agency for International Development and was prepared by ARD, Inc. PREFACE The Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (LRCFP) is a USAID program assisting the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and forest-based communities to jointly manage Liberia’s forest lands. Recent policy and legal reforms in Liberia’s forestry sector mandate FDA to empower and assist Liberian communities to manage their forest resources sustainably. LRCFP works with FDA and other stakeholders to develop this capacity at the national, county, and community levels. LRCFP works with Zor and Gba communities, north of Sanniquellie in Nimba County, and with Nitrian and Nimopoh communities, east of Greenville, in Sinoe County. The program helps these communities understand their rights and responsibilities regarding forest resources in their customary lands and how to undertake forest management activities that sustain these resources. The term “forest resources” encompasses all plants and animals in forest landscapes and how they interact to sustain the forest “ecosystem” that provides important environmental services that moderate climate and ensure fertile soils and water quality and quantity. Another term for this variety and assembly of biological and ecosystem properties is “biodiversity”. LRCFP recognizes that communities already manage forest resources and that community members also understand that some of these resources are declining due both to overexploitation by community members and to factors outside community control. Communities therefore see a need to improve their land rights and forest resource management capabilities to ensure that future generations retain the benefits their forests provide. Reasons for overuse of these resources include poverty (lack of money for alternative products), lack of clear rights to resources and a mandate to manage them, and lack of capacity and resources to improve their management. LRCFP works with FDA’s support to help communities overcome these obstacles by establishing representative forest management committees and providing training and resources for them to govern and carry out forest conservation and economic use of forest resources for improved livelihoods—in other words, developing a model for community forestry in Liberia. LRCFP uses this community-based experience to help FDA develop a national institutional framework for community forestry in Liberia. We provide support to FDA for training, technical analyses and recommendations, based on our experiences in Sinoe and Nimba and experience in other countries, that will enable communities to increasingly assume rights and responsibilities for managing their forest resources. LRCFP also works with the newly mandated Land Commission to assist in developing policies that will lead to legally defined customary tenure rights in forest lands. This report is prepared for the United States Agency for International Development, USAID Contract No. EPP-I-00-06-00008, Task Order No. EPP-I-05-06-00008-00, Technical, Advisory and Assistance Services in support of Land Rights and Community Forestry Program (LRCFP) of the Republic of Liberia, under the Prosperity, Livelihood and Conserving Ecosystems Indefinite Quantity Contract (PLACE IQC). Tetra Tech ARD Contacts: Allen Turner, Chief of Party ([email protected]) Vaneska Litz, Senior Technical Advisor/Manager ([email protected]) Anna Farmer, Project Manager ([email protected]) Tetra Tech ARD P.O. Box 1397 Burlington, VT 05402 Tel: 802-658-3890 Cover photo: Saye Thompson, Chairman of the local Joint Community Forest Management Body (JCFMB), signs Liberia’s first-ever Co-Management Agreement for the management of a protected area—the East Nimba Nature Reserve. Other signatories present are Moses Wogbeh, Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority, and District Commissioner John P. Quato. (Photo credit: Nobeh, Jackson) LIBERIA LAND RIGHTS AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM ELEVENTH QUARTERLY REPORT: 1 JULY–30 SEPTEMBER 2010 OCTOBER 2010 DISCLAIMER The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. CONTENTS ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................ III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................... 1 Component 1–Community Forestry Framework .............................................. 1 Component 2–Land Tenure and Property Rights ............................................ 1 Component 3–Community Pilot Sites .............................................................. 1 Program Management .................................................................................... 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ..................................................... 2 2.0 WORK PLAN ACTIVITIES .......................................................................... 5 2.1 COMPONENT/PROGRAM OBJECTIVE 1: LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK DEVELOPED AND STRENGTHENED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT, SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES, AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN FORESTS ......................................................................... 5 Activity 1.1: Support implementation of the CRL ............................................. 5 Activity 1.2: Strengthen understanding through public outreach on LRCFP and the community forestry framework ................................................. 6 Activity 1.3: Build capacity in community forestry at the national level under the enabling framework .............................................................. 7 Activity 1.4: Support “alternative” approaches to forest conservation through community forestry .................................................................. 8 Activity 1.5: Advise implementation of “social agreements” between concessionaires and communities ...................................................... 10 Activity 1.6: Participate in forestry sector coordination .................................. 10 2.2 COMPONENT/PROGRAM OBJECTIVE 2: LAND TENURE AND PROPERTY RIGHTS SYSTEMS FOR FOREST LANDS DEVELOPED AND STRENGTHENED TO SECURE RIGHTS FOR NATURAL RESOURCE USERS/OWNERS ......................... 12 Activity 2.1: Develop working relationships with the Land Commission, relevant national-level agencies, and other donor efforts .................... 12 Activity 2.2: Strengthen working relationship with local governments ............ 12 Activity 2.3: Build capacity in LTPR ............................................................... 13 Activity 2.4: Provide demand-driven STTA to support the Land Commission ........................................................................................ 13 2.3 COMPONENT/PROGRAM OBJECTIVE 3: MANAGEMENT OF COMMUNITY FORESTS AND CONSERVATION OF THEIR BIODIVERSITY IMPROVED, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES INCREASED FOR COMMUNITIES AND OTHER USER GROUPS ........................................................................................... 14 Activity 3.1: Carry out threats analysis and supporting activities to ensure significant biodiversity objectives are met ........................................... 14 Activity 3.2: Establish and strengthen management institutions .................... 14 Activity 3.3: Build the capacities of community organizations ........................ 17 Activity 3.4: Prepare community forest management plans ........................... 21 Activity 3.5: Develop livelihood improvement opportunities ........................... 23 Activity 3.6: Strengthen community-level understanding of land rights and community forestry ............................................................................. 26 3.0 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT ..................................................................... 29 3.1 USAID AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT .......................................................... 29 3.2 IMPLEMENTATION STAFFING AND STRUCTURE ............................................. 29 3.3 LOCAL SUBCONTRACTS ............................................................................. 30 3.4 COUNTY OFFICE DEVELOPMENTS ................................................................ 30 3.5 PROGRESS AGAINST PMP INDICATORS ......................................................... 30 LRCFP: ELEVENTH QUARTERLY REPORT: 1 JULY–30 SEPTEMBER 2010 i 4.0 RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT ............................................................. 34 ATTACHMENT A: WORK PLAN SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES AND DELIVERABLES–MAY TO DECEMBER 2010 ....................................... A-1 ATTACHMENT B: LRCFP STAFF AND ORGANOGRAM .............................. B-1 ATTACHMENT C: CO-MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT ................................... C-1 ATTACHMENT D: SUCCESS STORY: FDA AND COMMUNITIES SIGN FIRST FOREST CO- MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT IN LIBERIA ........ D-1 ii LRCFP: ELEVENTH QUARTERLY REPORT: 1 JULY–30 SEPTEMBER 2010 ACRONYMS AGRHA Action for Greater Harvest ASNAPP Agribusiness for Sustainable Natural African Plant