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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

Papua New Guinea Landowners Say Keep Moratorium on New Logging

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org

http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Archives

http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest Conservation

08/04/00

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY

A major conference on "Eco-Forestry, Community forestry and small-

scale timber industry" has been taking place in Papua New Guinea.

Landowners and others are making it abundantly clear that the current

moratorium on new logging operations is very important because the

"current forest policy and forestry act have not adequately addressed

the community forestry area and small scale timber milling." There

exists a rare window of opportunity for all stakeholders in the PNG

forest sector to work together to do the right thing.

g.b.

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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

Title: Keep moratorium in place: landowners

Source: The Independent

Status: Copyright 2000, contact source for permission to reprint

Date: August 3, 2000

By: NEVILLE CHOI

FOREST owners from East and West New Britain want the present

moratorium on forestry to be maintained until all problems in the

forest industry are fixed and important areas not covered in the

current forest policy reviewed and amended.

Jacob Samo of Pomio and Stephen Moses from Kimbe, gave a joint

presentation on Eco-Forestry, Community forestry and small-scale

timber industry at this weeks Forest policy conference in Port

Moresby.

Both men are project leaders of the European Union-funded Islands

Regional Environmental and Community Development Program (IRECDP).

The two men said that while the forestry moratorium was still in

place, it provided an opportunity for the government, international

development partners, local non government organisations, landowners

and other stakeholders to reassess where the forest policy and forest

act had failed and improve on them.

"It is our wish and belief that the current forest policy and forestry

act have not adequately addressed the community forestry area and

small scale timber milling. The Forest Policy and Forest Act make

mention of community forest but in actual fact, nothing is done in

that area," they said, pointing out that the:

* Forest Policy needed to be reviewed and the review process be

coordinated and involve all stakeholders and be tasked to include

field visits; and

* Forestry Policy and Act be amended to include community forestry, as

it is an area which is always overlooked.

They also accused the PNG Forest Authority for failing to deliver in

its activities and for failing to fulfill its role. Instead, they

maintain that it has "confused itself both as a service organisation

and regulating and monitoring body". "It is our recommendation that at

the review of the Forest Policy and the Forestry Act, the following be

established and followed through:

* A restructure of the PNG Forest Authority into a service provider

and regulating and monitoring body; and

* That officers within the service and the authority be retrained in

the subject of public relations, people management and dealing

especially with rural people.

"Most times we find ourselves having difficulty in getting help from

forestry officers. That is simply because they see themselves as

government officer with authority, not as service providers to the

resource owners or any other person needing the services of the

government agency responsible for forestry matters," they said.

They also recommended that all donor agencies link up with established

local NGOs and provide financial support to implement activities under

the NGOs program so that all donor funds are coordinated through a

central body.

"From our experience, the rural people like other people in the

country want to get on with life in their villages. We want to get

with life and also receive all the benefits like road and other

important services. The only reason why the rural people turn their

forest resources to the PNG Forest Authority for logging is because

they want services," they explained.