Partecipatory processes for forest planning and management models: considerations and ideas

1. Partecipatory processes for forest planning and management models: considerations and ideas Arenzano 27-10-2011 Roberto Gianoglio

2. PRESENTATION STRUCTURE • Forest planning: fromColbertto Lisbona • Participation and responsabilities • Forest planning and management: some hints

3. FOREST PLANNING FROM COLBERT TO LISBONA Up to mid 19th Century… Il consiglio dei 10 (francesco Hayez) Jean Baptiste Colbert Heinrich Cotta

4. FOREST PLANNING FROM COLBERT TO LISBONA After the First World War… • Less interest in firewood • Less interest in timber • People abandoning marginal areas and moving into urban areas HIGH PLANNING LOW FORESTRY MANAGEMENT

5. SUSTAINABLE FOREST PLANNING FROM COLBERT TO LISBONA 20th Century: • Enviromental sustainability • Economical sustainability • Social sustainability • Maintenance and appropriate enhancement of forest resources and their contribution to global carbon cycles; • Maintenance of forest ecosystem health and vitality • Maintenance and encouragement of productive functions of forests (wood and non wood) • Maintenance, conservation and appropriate enhancement of biological diversity in forest ecosystems • Maintenance and appropriate enhancement of protective functions in forest • management (notably soil and water) • Maintenance of other socio-economic functions and conditions Third Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe Annex 2 of the 2-4 June 1998, Lisbon/Portugal

6. PARTICIPATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES FROM PLANNING TO MANAGEMENT Participatory processes for forest planning, a long way… • Legitimation • Institutional • Real • Public participation • Players identification, animation and mobilization • Something to be decided… • Need for top-down decisions • Need for freedom to operate • Need for concrete and relevant problems to be solved

7. PARTICIPATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES FROM PLANNING TO MANAGEMENT What is the aim of a participatory forest planning? • Management Unitincrease • Management Unitdiversification • Players identification • Conflict minimitazion • Strategy identification • Shared infrastructural need definition • Applicationof a management model • Associationsfostering

8. PARTICIPATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES FROM PLANNING TO MANAGEMENT Sabotage of participatory forest planning… • I know something you don’t know (asimmetria informativa - AI) • Didn’t tell you? o I would never have said that! (negazione del problema dell’AI) • Whoops I forgot! (sottovalutazione dell’AI) • The sinergy of an holistic approach (parlare chiaro) • Under new management o I have to check it with my boss(scaricare la responsabilità) • Rule maker - rule breaker (affermare un diritto di cambiare/adattare le regole a proprio piacimento in quanto gestore del processo) • I’ve changed my mind (cambiare/adattare le regole senza consenso) • I never changed my mind (mancanza di flessibilità) • Remote control (processo decisionale percepito come etero-diretto) • I quit (se il processo non va nella direzione che voglio, abbandono il tavolo) (P.Michtell-Banks, 2004)

9. FOREST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: SOME HINTS FROM PLANNING TO MANAGEMENT No active management can exist without economic interest.No/Few forest public services (protective function, C-sink, …) can exist without active management.

10. FOREST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: SOME HINTS FROM PLANNING TO MANAGEMENT 01 Management ofsmallareas: coppicing (activebutnotcontinuous management) • Local economic system important but often not really “clear” • Guarantees the conservation of resources but is not a real business • Interesting way for farmers to integrate their work and their capital

11. FOREST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: SOME HINTS FROM PLANNING TO MANAGEMENT 02 Management oflargewoodlands (active and continuous management) • Proper forest sector: • Availability of human resources and capital goods • Business development activities • Long term strategy plans • Competitive on the market

12. FOREST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: SOME HINTS FROM PLANNING TO MANAGEMENT In Italy… • 40% of woodlands are public • More than 95% of forests are under some constrain • Forest area has constantly grown starting from 40s (+7%) • Mean forest utilization is 1,2 mc/ha/y • The presence of a strong, well-structured and organized agricultural sector often impedes a new forest sector to grow • The forest sector impact on GDP is about 0.05% ! • Forest associations are extremely limited

13. FOREST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: SOME HINTS FROM PLANNING TO MANAGEMENT and in Liguria Region*… * Report on state of forest 2010 – Regione Liguria • 387.170 Ha of woodlands (71,5% of total) • 64% of forest are coppices (of which 36% aged) • 30,2% of chestnut forest • 87% of forest area is privately owned • 61% of forest area is situated in areas with >40% slope • Serious problem of forest fires and plant health conditions not optimal

14. FOREST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: SOME HINTS 1 • Simple plans for incisive actions • Excessive overlap of complex planning tools does not help the realization of the planned actions; plans must be simple, concise and operative • Starting from simple actions and self-closing mechanisms to generate virtuous systems and overcome private owners resistance  • External resources: • From concessions for hydroelectric or irrigation use of public waters • From muschrooming fees • From hunting • Management models: appropriate size for active and continuous management  • Maximize the possibilities of creating stable employment  (1-2 jobs every 800-000 ha of forest production management) • Promote the associations in any possible way

15. FOREST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: SOME HINTS 2 • Involve private landowners and firms in planning but also in management • Byprovidingservices: • Wood sellingbypubblicauction • Free advice on public register • Speed up ofauthorizationprocess • Access togovermentgrants • By implementing disincentive policies • No-use tax ? • Reiterability of use for public utility • Coercive forms of association ?

16. FOREST PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: SOME HINTS 3 • Public policies • Promotion of inclusive decision-making processes must be sustained and addressed to implementation of models of strategic management of the resources • Maximization of wood use in public works through ad hoc price- list items  • Direct the production of energy from forest biomass (Think about chains!) • Natural resources maangement is a political matter! It must be dealt with policy instruments • Harmonization and regulatory simplification

17. CONCLUSION The application of participatory approaches to forest planning can be an important added value to the sustainable management of forest resources.  The best way to put in action this contribution is to make it a starting point to identify the right management strategy.

18. Dott. For. Roberto Gianoglio e. gianoglio@seacoop.com t. 011/3290001 www.seacoop.com Thank you !