Page 1 of 14 Managing the Forest with Villagers: An Experience from Dong Kapho State Production Forest in Savannakhet, Lao PDR Khamphay Manivong, Director , Forest Research Centre Department of Forestry Vientiane, Lao PDR Berenice Muraille , Joint Forest Management Adviser, Lao-Swedish Forestry Programme Provincial Forestry Section Savannakhet, Lao PDR Abstract In Asia, governments have been reluctant to hand over large tracts of valuable production forest area to local communities. Thus, most participatory forest management programs are only applied in degraded or secondary forest areas. Presently, the Government of Lao PDR is testing various approaches to participatory forest management. This case study presents a joint forest management approach (collaboration between villagers and the Forest Department) to sustainably harvest timber in the Dong Kapho State Production Forest of Savannakhet Province in southern Laos. The following paper describes the technical processes of the joint forest management approach in harveting and processing timber in Dong Kapho. Introduction Over the last decade, the Government of Lao PDR has increasingly recognized that for sustainable forest management to be successful it needs to actively involve the communities living in or near forest area. In Savannakhet Province in southern Laos, a partnership has been formed between the government and local villagers to implement a forest management plan for Dong Kapho State Production Forest (SPF). To test this joint Forest Management (JFM) concept, in 1994 two models were initiated in 15 villages located around Dong Kapho. The two models differ in their arrangements for the sharing of responsibilities and benefits, however, both models include similar activities such as: pre-logging inventories, harvesting, log measurement and grading, sales, enrichment plating, and forest protection. Dong Khapo SPF covers an area of 9,600 ha of which 5,900 ha have been classified for production (see Figure 1). The Dong Kapho SPF management plan was developed by the Department of Forestry (DoF) and implementation began in 1994. Before this management plan, villagers living around Dong Kapho witnessed the mining of their forest without being associated with its exploitation or subsequent benefits. In view of this, one of the primary objectives of the management plan was to involve the surrounding villages in the management of the forest. This has been achieved by developing forest protection agreements that, through various arrangements, entitle villagers to participate in all forest operations (including pre-logging inventories, logging, enrichment planting and patrolling), to be paid for their labor, and to receive a share of the revenue generated from logging activities. Each year, three villages of the 15 actively participate in forest operations, while the other 12 participate only in forest protection activities. Money to pay for labor and support community development activities is secured through the revenue generated from timber sales in the three logging villages. Page 2 of 14 Figure 1: Dong Kapho State Production Forest and Surrounding Villages Dong Kapho SPF Management Plan The three main objectives of the Dong Kapho SPF management plan are: Sustained yield production of valuable timber and non-timber forest products (NTFPs); Maintenance of the ecological, conservation, and protective capacity of the forest; and Page 3 of 14 Involvement of the local people. The Dong Kapho Forest Management Plan is based on a 50 year sustainable felling cycle. Dong Kapho is subdivided in three "management areas" and every year 118 ha of forest area is surveyed for logging. This is then divided into three cutting areas (one in each management area) based on where the annual cutting area falls in. While the boundaries between Dong Kapho and traditional use areas often intersect, villagers are permitted to collect NTFPs and hunt in these areas throughout the year. Implementation of the Forest Management Plan The responsibility for the management, protection, production, monitoring, and control of the management plan lies with the Savannakhet Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO). In order to implement the plan, PAFO establishes contracts ("Forest Contracts") with the villages surrounding Dong Kapho. Contracts are signed by three parties: PAFO, the District Agriculture and Forestry Office (DAFO) and the villege committee. Contracts specify the rights and obligations of each party as to the implementation of the forest management plan (Annexes 1 and 2) as well as the distribution of benefits generated by the sale of logs (Annexes 3 and 4). Pre-logging survey Before logging, a pre-logging inventory takes place to quantify the stocking of the selected cutting area and its quality using a systematic line plot survey with a sampling intensify seven of seven percent (Annex 5). This operation is conducted by staff from PAFO, DAFO, and hired villagers. The villagers' roles consist of guiding the staff in the forest and identifying the actual cutting area from the maps and aerial photos. Villagers also have the to decide whether or not cutting in the area can take place, especially if it falls in a traditional use area. For example, one area selected for logging was located in an area considered as a sacred forest. Consequently, this area (about 20 ha) was reclassified as protection forest. During this operation, the field data collected includes: tree species, Diameter at Breast Height (DBH), tree status and number of five meter logs. From this data, number of trees and its volume per hectare in different DBH classes are computed per species and tree status. Elaboration of cutting regime (regulations on tree marking) Ensuring the appropriate cutting regime is important to ensure the sustainability of the 50 year cutting cycle. It involves the determination of which species at what diameter can be cut (the Modified Minimum Diameter - MMD) which is based on pre-logging measurements and the current situation in each cutting area. Management objectives and economic factors are also taken into consideration. A number of rules and criteria are applied in elaborating the cutting regime. The most common are: A Minimum of 36 healthy commercial trees (or equivalent trees) per hectare with more than 30 DBH cm should be left in the residual stand, after logging. Allowance of 20 percent should be made to compensate for logging damage. The cutting of both healthy and damaged trees should not exceed 2 5 percent of the total standing volume (only trees with DBH < 20 cm) in the logging area. Trees with DBH bigger than the MMD should be considered for felling, except for species with a density less than 1m 3/ha. Single (healthy or damaged) trees, qualified for felling according to the above criteria, should be selected only if the distance to the nearest selected tree is a minimum of 15 meters. If the trees are growing in clusters, within a circle of 10 meters, two trees may be selected for felling even if the distance between them is less than 15 meters. Damaged or dead trees more than 40 DBH cm should be selected for felling. No trees in riverine areas (up to 100 meters wide on both sides) should be selected for felling. Resin-tapped trees less than 100 cm DBH should be excluded from felling (resin is a major source of income for villagers). Based on the above, the instructions for the data containing general rules and the table showing a list of species with minimum DBH are prepared by PAFO staff. In addition, the staff also prepare an enlarged (1/5,000) map of the cutting area and indicate the survey lines for tree marking on the map. Page 4 of 14 Tree marking survey Equipped with a map and instructions for tree marking (a cutting regime), a survey is undertaken by villagers and DAFO and PAFO staff in each cutting area. A tree marking line system is used with parallel lines at 50 meters apart, in order to measure and mark the stumps to be logged. Each marked tree is given a number and indicated on the tree marking survey map (Annex 6). Besides helping with the measurements, the villagers advise on which trees can (or cannot) be cut according to traditional use patterns. For example, a tree marked for cutting might be used by an individual or a family for resin tapping. In this instance, the tree will not be felled. In addition, silvicultural treatments (such as the cutting of climbers) is also carried out by villagers. Later, the bole volume of the marked trees is calculated for each cutting area by the team leader with the help of a volume table developed by the National Forest Inventory and Planning Office (Annex 7). Market surveys The data resulting from the tree marking survey assists in estimating the volume for each species. This data is then used for the sealed bid to sawmills in the province. Each sawmill has about ten days to submit an offer. Once these offers are received, village representatives and DAFO and PAFO staff analyze them to secure the best offer. Sale contracts are signed between the sawmill, the village, and PAFO, and advance payment can be negotiated. Harvesting Logging is undertaken by the villagers under the supervision of one staff member from DAFO or PAFO. Logging related work comprises two main tasks: the felling of trees and the clearing of logging tracks to allow extraction. The felling is done with handsaws. The village is given the map (See Annex 6) established during the tree marking survey, on which each tree and its position is indicated. Since the Dong Kapho SPF had already been logged, about 10-17 m 3/ha is currently removed against 127 m 3/ha of average standing volume. in order to undertake logging operations, villagers need to acquire basic equipment such as handsaws, machetes and hooks. An advance on their future benefits from the sawmill allow them to buy this equipment in the first year.