Innovations in Forest Management: Tools and Strategies for a Sustainable Future

1. New Instruments and Policies in the Forest Arena Andy White Coordinator, Rights and Resources Initiative Augusta Molnar, Arvind Khare, Justin Bull

2. Outline • Background Comments • New Instruments and Approaches • New Policies and Organizations • Some Ideas and Challenges for the Future

3. Background Comments • We are in the midst of an active period in the history of “Forestry” – lots of ideas and initiatives • However, this flurry of change hasn’t (yet) produced many major impacts • Continued deforestation (with commensurate loss in biodiversity and watershed protection) • Unsustainable/Illegal logging/boom–bust industry the norm in most places

4. New Instruments and Approaches • Certification, independent monitoring, lobal Reporting Initiative, Corporate Social Responsibility (Codes of Conduct) • Compensation and Rewards for Ecosystem Services • Community Based Forestry

5. New Policies and Organizations • Reallocating forest ownership and tenure • Rethinking regulations • Rethinking forest subsidies • Rethinking forest agencies

6. Recent Research on Forest Governance • “Forest Governance in Federal Systems: An Overview of Experiences and Implications for Decentralization” • Prepared for CIFOR and UNFF by FT: (Hans Gregersen, Arnoldo Contreras, Andy White, 2004) • Australia Malaysia • Brazil Nigeria • Canada Russia • India USA • Bolivia Indonesia • Nepal Mexico • 2. FT Experience: India, China, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Russia, Papua New Guinea, etc. (Africa, E. Europe)

7. General Findings • About 70% of world’s forests in “federal” countries • Tremendous diversity in how rights and responsibilities distributed • Between levels of govt. and between govt and private/civil sectors • Moves to “decentralize” are widespread - a global phenomenon • Most forest agencies have very limited power – followers not leaders • Most forest agencies “in transition” – wrestling with roles

8. Changing Context: Agencies out of Step • Designed in 1900’s, since then: • Declining budgets, credibility, trust in many countries • Diminished focus on producing timber on public lands– (in N) • Rapid growth in community ownership of forests and increased timber supply from private lands • Increased role/voice of civil society, (net, and relative to industry) • Increased demand for tourism, ecosystem services • Reduced cost of information: generation and dissemination, expectation of transparence • Globalization, growing international trade – challenge of keeping industry competitive

9. (Some) Shifts Towards… • Agencies as “facilitators”: from “doing it” to “getting it done” with civil and private sectors • New South Wales and PES • CONAFOR and PES • Agencies as “enablers/service providers” to communities and NIPF’s • Mexico and community forestry • EU and “extension forestry” • New attention to international trade, climate change, subsidies, WTO, etc. (threats to the local from the global) • Canada, Sweden

10. (Some) Shifts Towards… • 4. From centralized “command and control” to “smart, outcome oriented” systems: • * From feudal Europe to Montana? • * regulatory systems that build on interests and incentives • Recognizing the absolute interdependence of healthy forests and healthy communities (and reorganizing accordingly): • * convergence of “forestry and “poverty alleviation” agendas • * Mexico, India, China • What public forest agencies will the world need in 10 years 50, 100?

11. Thank You