Development of Community Forestry Management Plans, Madang, Papua New Guineas

In Papua New Guinea (PNG) 97% of the land and forest resources are customary owned and recognized under PGN’s legal system. Indigenous customary forest resource owners in PNG need to be given the opportunity to develop their own forest resources. Current practices under law are such that landowner forfeits their land and resources to the State who in turn engages foreign logging companies to harvest their forests, usually indiscriminately, leaving behind displaced and disillusioned landowners. Water systems, wildlife and the general environment is damaged, let alone no chance of the logger coming back to harvest in the near future. On the other hand numerous portable sawmills, currently numbering some 5,000 are being used in PNG without proper control mechanisms in place. More importantly the forest resources are being cut without any proper forest management plans in place. The proponents, who are mainly forest resource owners, have no sense about forest management in general such as the importance of forests to regulate climate and water systems. As the State is usually focused on attending to large scale logging interests, the forest resource owners are usually left to their own devices in developing their own forest resources. FPCD Inc is a local not for profit NGO established in 1993, with the overall mission of improving and or enhancing the quality of life of the rural people through its various program interventions including eco forestry/ community forestry. Based in Madang (PNG), the eco forestry program is currently assisting members of the Madang Forest Resource Owners Association (MFROA), numbering some 120 groups/ producers, to develop their forest resources themselves. FPCD provides training in forest management, business management and small sawmill management. One of the major outputs of this assistance for FPCD to help each MFROA member come up with forest management plans to oversee their respective forest areas. FPCD is lagging behind in assisting the landowners in developing their forest management plans. A lot of work is required in carrying out the forest assessment surveys of the MFROA members’ forest resources. This project, sponsored by IUCN NL, is to help get as many as possible forest areas surveyed and forest management plans developed. These activities will greatly help in getting forest resource owners to take proper control of their forest resources.

The Foundation for People and Community Development has successfully executed this project and achieved its objectives. Six areas were selected by more than 170 members of Madang Forest Resource Owners Association (MFROA), two of the areas belonging to a clan in East Sepik Province. Together with the owners, five forest inventory surveys were carried out in the forest areas (participatory land-use planning). The inventory data have been processed and forest management plans have been written. The clan landowners in the 5 areas were also given training in forest management, timber harvesting, sawmilling and first aid. They now have the necessary knowledge for sustainable management of their forest resources. The compromise between conservation and development (environmental and economic benefits) in the communities was achieved through participatory land use planning. The land use plans of the clans identify separate areas for conservation, agriculture, ecoforestry, village sites etc.