THE THEORY OF CO-MANAGEMENT AND ITS APPLICATION IN SOUTH AFRICA’S PFM POLICY
6.7. FOREST MANAGEMENT CONTEXT
PFM is a multiple-use management approach to indigenous forestry. This approach influences the nature of activities that take place within the forests; to this end it is beneficial to provide a
brief description of how this approach has been implemented. The Knysna forests are divided into five management classes “aimed at the optimal and sustainable use of the forests” (van der Merwe, 2002:128). This approach has been applied to the forests since 1970 28.
State forest land in the southern Cape has been classified into eight climax forest types based on their structure, species composition and density (Durrheim, 2003). In addition, in order to aid the practicalities of forest management and research, forest and fynbos are subdivided into blocks, compartments and sub-compartments. These compartments and sub-compartments have in turn been allocated to one of the five management classes, which will determine the activities that take place within that unit. The management classes are described in Table 6.2.
According to Durrheim (2003:4), these classes are “based on the nature of the resource (forest type, location, accessibility, site factors and ecological constraints) and the long-term management objectives for the particular compartment (nature conservation, forest product utilisation or outdoor recreation)”.
The Area office of DWAF in Knysna obtained certification under the Forestry Stewardship Council in December 2002 for the southern Cape forests. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit organisation founded in 1993 to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.
This is done through the establishment of a global standard of recognised and respected principles and criteria for forest management with which management bodies must comply.
According to a press report, DWAF note that achieving this certification will bring benefits
“not only in terms of monitoring but also in terms of market access” (DWAF, 2003c).
The southern Cape forests are the only indigenous forests in South Africa to be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, and are one of only two forest areas in Africa that are certified. This “enhances export potential for the wood and furniture that people make from it, thus confirming the Department’s commitment to sustainable forest management” (DWAF, 2003c).
28 For a detailed study of the history of forest management in the Knysna Forests, see McCracken, 2004;
Seydack and Vermeulen, 2004 and van der Merwe, 2002.
Table 6.2. The DWAF Indigenous Forest Management classes (Data from Durrheim, 2003 and van der Merwe, 2002).
Management Class A
Timber utilisation
(25.9%)*
Comprises only moist and medium moist high forest compartments where timber exploitation is practically feasible (regarding slope and accessibility), the growing stock potential is favourable for utilisation and timber exploitation is reconcilable with the broad management objective of conservation (i.e. the ecologically less sensitive compartments). The Senility Criteria Harvesting Yield Regulation System is applied to harvesting, which is aimed at making the best use of timber whilst simultaneously incurring the least possible impact on the forest ecosystem. Only trees that show visible signs of senility (in the last 10 years of their life cycle) are selected for harvesting.
Management Class B Protection (44.8%)*
Includes compartments that are unsuitable for timber harvesting because of ecological sensitivity and the nature of growing stock (i.e. where regeneration does not occur readily). These are mainly compartments from the very wet and very dry forest types, but also include steep or inaccessible areas of the moist and medium moist high forest types. Recreation and harvesting of seven-week ferns are restricted to the less vulnerable areas and exotic invader control is a key activity in this management class.
Management Class C Nature Reserves (27.3%)*
Includes representative samples from all six forest types and also areas with particular biological or landscape features. These forest areas benefit from an increased conservation status, include nine declared nature reserves and serve as a control for management activities that take place in other management classes. No timber or fern harvesting is allowed, however recreation activities are permitted in less sensitive areas, affording the tourist unspoilt environments.
Management Class D Recreation (0.4%)*
Set aside for intensive recreation activities such as picnicking and accommodation facilities. It could occur in any forest type, provided mechanisms are put in place to reduce the environmental impact of tourism.
However to date compartments in very very dry scrub, wet high forest and very wet scrub forest types have not been allocated to this management class.
Outdoor recreation such as hiking, day-walks, cycling and horse riding can also be permitted as a secondary management objective in other management classes
Management Class E Ecological Research
(1.2%)*
Includes compartments of any forest type that is used exclusively for long-term ecological or silvicultural research.
* Percentage of forest surface allocated to this management class.
PFM projects would be seen to benefit from these forests having such an accreditation because it would improve the value of both consumptive and non-consumptive timber resources that are made available to the public. For example, wooden items on sale would attain a higher price if the wood had an FSC stamp.
The FSC certification has a strong social focus, which, for DWAF, is where PFM is seen to play a vital role. The mission of the FSC “includes improvement of the quality of life and relief of poverty, for forest dependant people and workers” (FSC, 2003). The FSC website (http:///www.fscoax.org) states that:
“focusing on the social aspects of forestry requires taking a holistic approach to the interaction between the social chamber constituents - (indigenous peoples, workers, and community and small-scale forest users) and forest management and the environment. This involves considering industrial forestry as well as all other uses of the forest like subsistence harvesting, the use of non-timber forest products (NTFP) and uses for recreational, cultural or spiritual purposes”.
The need for PFM to be implemented is seen in DWAF’s obligation to maintain their FSC certification, thus upholding the international recognition that they receive for the manner in which they manage both timber and non-timber related forest products. Having an international accreditation such as FSC demonstrates DWAF’s commitment in meeting obligations with respect to international conventions, and assuring downstream users of forest products that the products are from sustainably managed forests (DWAF, 2003c).
PFM should be understood as an approach to forest management that is consistent with DWAF’s FSC criteria. It is also an approach that is to be implemented in the context of the management classification system that DWAF have in operation.