LIBERIA CHAINSAW AND TIMBER DEALERS UNION

Red Light, Paynesville

REPUBLIC OF LIBERIAE-mail: licsatdun@rocketmail.com/liberiachainsaw@gmail.com

Contact #(s): 0886573768/0886936-123

TOPIC: SUSTAINABLE HARVEST PRACTICES IN LIBERIA

PRESENTER: Mr. Arthur T. KarngbeaeSecretary General

Date: May 1&2, 2012

Background of chainsaw milling and the Forestry Reform Law of Liberia

• The National forestry reform Law of 2006 established a transparent framework for the sustainable use, management and protection of forest and forest recourses of the republic of Liberia.

• The national reform Law establishes four (4) non-exclusive licenses pursuant to which a person may extract forest resources in Liberia and also authorize the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to issues regulations and other rules necessary to implement the law, including specifically regulations that govern contracting and permitting.

• Chainsaw Milling having significant social contribution and also constitute some critical source of livelihood for many persons especially vulnerable, unemployed individuals and poor communities, the Government of Liberia recognizes the need to formally recognize and regulate chainsaw milling in Liberia as means of maximizing the social socio-economic benefit of chainsaw milling at the same time mitigating its negative environmental impact.

Background of the Liberia Chainsaw and Timber Dealer Union

• The Liberia Chainsaw and Timber Dealers Union is a non-Governmental Organization established in 2008 to help coordinate the activities of pitsawyers in harvesting timber for domestic and commercial purposes while observing practices on sustainable forest management as provided for in the forest law of Liberia.

• The organization was organized to help reduce poverty in Liberia by assisting forest-dependent communities in generating revenues at the local level for community-based projects or infrastructure.

• The Union is headed by a President, Vice President and the Secretary who are closely assisted by Standing Committees. For ease of coordination, each county has a Chairperson. The Headquarters of the Union are in Monrovia, Liberia.

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Brief History of Chainsaw• The origin of the chainsaw is being debated but the first saw was

probably made around 1830 by the German orthopedist Bernard Heine. This instrument, the osteotome, had links of a chain carrying small cutting teeth with the edges set at an angle; the chainsaw was moved around a guiding blade by turning the handle of the sprocket wheel. As the name implies, this was used to cut bone.

• However, today, the two main contributors to the modern Chainsaw are Joseph Buford Cox and Andreas Stihl. Stihl later developed Chainsaw in 1926 and a gasoline powered chainsaw in 1929, and than founded a company to mass-produce them. Often chainsaw was so heavy that they were put on wheels to carry them. After the World War II, Improvement in aluminum and engine design lightened chainsaw to the point where one person could carry them.

• Fact about Chainsaw: A chainsaw chain can move up to 68 miles per hour. When chainsaw is at full speed, more than 600 teeth pass a given point per second

The Present look of the Chainsaw

Our approach to Sustainable Harvest practices

• Our main strategy on Sustainable Harvest Practices is to respect applicable forest law on Sustainable Forest Management on species harvest, Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) Cutting limits, felling techniques, etc ;

• These are sufficiently addressed in the National Forestry Reform Law; Code of Harvesting Practices, etc

• We’re now preparing to operate in line a Regulation specifically passed for our activities—the Chainsaw Regulation

• Additionally, we’ve designed our own training manual to improve the capacity of our members on sustainable harvest.

Sustainable harvest practices in keeping with the Chainsaw Regulation

• In keeping with the regulation and sustainability of the Liberian forest, chainsaw milling is limited to the following lands areas:

• Private and deeded land;• Community forest; • The area has been identified by the FDA as

suitable for commercial use;• FDA has validated the area locally• Permit holder has received a written permission

from FDA and free prior informed consent from community

• Every chainsaw milling group is offered a 1,000 hectares at a time by the authority

Chainsaw Regulation,. cont… • The Authority only offers chainsaw milling

permit on forest land whose use makes than unsuitable for management under sustainable forest management principles.

• Prior to commencing any chainsaw operation in Liberia, each sawyer whether individual, business entity or cooperatives shall apply to FDA for a permit

• Applicant must be a Liberian• Proof of Business registration • Serial number (s) of chainsaw (s) owned

Chainsaw Regulation, cont.. • Prior to the issuance of permit in a

given land area, the applicant shall prepare a tree registration scheme locating all trees to be logged, and also species and diameter.

Illustration of tree registration scheme and measurement of Diameter

Sustainable harvest practices

• Maintaining positive environment impact, no permit holder is allowed to fell trees towards a water course, maintain a buffer of 30 meters between a harvested and a water course.

Training operators about felling techniques closer to buffer zone.

The way forward on Sustainable Harvest

• Using the Chainsaw Regulations as assurance of legality and guide to best harvesting practices, any person felling a tree under a chainsaw milling permit should be able to determine the diameter and volume of any sawn log.

Operators scaling to determine Diameter and Volume of a log

Our support for Sustainable Harvest practices using the VPA/FLEGT

• For sustainability and legal production of timber according to international best practices, Liberia has joined the European Union in fighting illegalities in the forestry sector, maximizing forest benefits and protecting biodiversity.

• The Liberia Chainsaw and Timber Dealers Union participated in the VPA negotiations in Liberia and is thus challenged, like other parties, to take leadership in ensuring its smooth implementation

• As we have always noted, the outstanding challenge in effectively doing so remains the lack of adequate capacity, among its membership, to understand and enforce forest law enforcement;

• Currently, in response to this challenge, we’re implementing a pilot project on forest law compliance funded by EU-FAO .

Safety Method in Sustainable harvest practices

• The first steps to sustainable harvest practices include adequate work force and Protective gears

• Eye protector • Ear protector• Head protector • Correct glove• Steel toes Boot.

Ear protector

Helmet

Eye protector

Hand Glove

Protective gears

Un-safe Chainsaw operators

Field photo of protected operators

A forecast on Sustainable harvest practices

Thank You