23 Mar 2007 - Darien,
Panama – A milestone in the history of forest
conservation has been marked in the dense
tropical rainforests of Panama’s eastern
Darien region.
As part of a sustainable forest management
and trade project coordinated by WWF, the
region’s first sustainable harvesting plan
has been launched, ensuring that forest
areas are cut in 25-year cycles.
“This ensures that logging does not exceed
what the forest can regenerate,” said Mauro
Salazar, WWF Central America’s Forestry
Director.
Under the plan, a limited number of mature
trees are harvested the first year in one
forest area, cutting only four to five trees
per hectare so that the forest’s ecological
integrity is not harmed. The oldest seed-producing
trees are not cut down so as to ensure the
survival of the species.
The following year logging would be allowed
in a second area so that tree species in
the first area could regenerate. A similar
practice will continue in other areas throughout
the forest over a 25-year logging cycle.
When this cycle comes to an end, a new one
will start again in the first area.
This model is based on the “Forests Forever”
concept which takes into account the principles
and criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council,
the world’s leading forest certification
organization.
“This overarching approach represents a
practical tool for long-term conserving,
especially as the forest remains nearly
intact after an extraction,” Salazar added.
”At the same time it contributes to poverty
alleviation.”
WWF promotes responsible forest management
and trade as one of the best ways to conserve
the forests over the long term, helping
communities that own the forest to generate
tangible economic benefits through careful
resource management.
“The project means taking care of the forest,
protecting it and creating jobs for our
communities,” said Franklin Mezúa,
an indigenous leader from the Embera-Wounaan
community who has been promoting responsible
forest management in the Darien’s Tupiza
River area for several years.
“Before we were working with the WWF model,
timber companies took advantage of our indigenous
communities by buying large amounts of wood
and leaving little benefit for us, at prices
way below market levels,” Mezúa added.
“Today we have higher earnings and we are
sure that our children will enjoy these
beautiful forests.”
END NOTES:
• The WWF-coordinated sustainable forest
management and trade project is being carried
out by local Embera-Wounaan indigenous groups,
with support from the Panamanian National
Environment Authority, national NGOs, forestry
industry and others.
• Additional support is provided by the
US Agency for International Development
(USAID), the European Economic Community,
Sustainable Development Project of the Darién
(IDB), Fundación Natura, National
Secretariat of Science and Technology (SENACYT),
UK Department for International Development
(DFID) and the Global Forest Trade Network
(GFTN).
Cinthya Flores Mora, Communications Director
WWF Central America
