Community forestry potential and what is ahead for PNG

Community forestry potential and what is ahead for PNG Small-scale and Community Forestry and the Changing Nature of Forest Landscapes Sunshine Coast, Australia 11-15 October 2015 Martin Golman PNG Forest Research Institute

Outline Introduction Forest Policy Setting Forest Research Focus Landowner issues Challenges Way forward Summary Conclusions

Introduction What is community forestry and how the concept evolved? Industrial forestry more focused on global and national progress lossing site of rural communities and livelihoods Development centred in advanced countries but little is trickled to Developing countries Context of community forestry can be broken down to small scale forestry activities by the people/grassroots Community forestry in PNG context Ecoforestry; i.e., small scale sawmilling, Tree farming; i.e., small scale tree farming Reforestation naturally after logging

Introduction (Cont.) PNG is a developing country and experienced industrial forestry and less focus on community forestry Community forestry complements industrial forest Consultation Seeking consent Signing of Agreements Lack of participation and Landowner empowerment and ownership of forest management activities

Introduction (Cont.) 1990 Forest Policy emphasises reforestation Little on community forestry (CF) Establishment of a CF section under policy Secretariate 2002 2006 No direction on community forestry from 2006 2015 What is ahead? Reforestation Policy Community Forestry

Introduction (Cont.) With loose institutional framework, how do we scale up community forestry/ small holder tree farming in PNG? This presentation will guide us through with concepts of the issues and concerns that are involved in the processes of developing a framework for community tree farming strategy and how to develop both research and strategies to enhance tree farming/community forestry in PNG.

Policy Setting Pre Independence (1975) Reforestation initiatives Various successful exotic trials have been established Tectona grandis trialled in 1962 Pinus elliottii trialled in 1940 Pinus merkusii trialled in 1951, 1967 & 1969 Eucalyptus deglupta 1967 Pinus carabaea 1972 1979 Forest Policy and Reforestation Policy framework 1990 Forest Policy 2001 Reforestation Policy/Discussion Paper 2012 Reforestation Policy/Discussion Paper

Politicy Setting (Cont.) Numerous policy attempts with little reforestation development except Bulolo plantations Lack of reforestation implementation due to constraints identified as: Land Tenure Finance Forest Industries reluctance to reforest Lack of maintenance of the current forest plantations Lack of research information Lack of silvicultural techniques Lack of training

Policy Setting (Cont.) All the above constraints But the Research and the Land issues will be further elaborated for better grasp of the real reasons for non implementation of plantations. As for research information, there is hope and feel of relieve that information is available. E.g., PNG Biomass use of FRI s Eucalytus pellita tree farming is progressing well on Markham.

FRI s Research Focus on CF Due to recent FRI/ACIARs collaboration on the science of tree breeding, FRI has been delivering the research outcome, desired for community forestry Without a good research inputs into the best tree to grow, inferior and low grade wood product will not likely to withstand the environmental stress and earn a good market price. FRI will work with small farmers to verify and confirm if the trees were of good form, vigour and quaility and can grow on the site intended for.

FOREST PLANTATION RESEARCH Terminalia brassii Planted in June 1974 near Dami Forestry Station in Kimbe, Wsest New Britain. The average diameter is 80 cm and a height of 35 m. Photo taken by Wake Yelu in 2014 Tectona grandis (Teak) at Kuriva, Central Province, Port Moresby,

Native Forest Plantation Research Pometia pinnata (Taun) This plot was planted in 1997 along Markham River on a forest area, well drained and sandy loam soil. The average diameter of the trees is 50 cm and height of 25 m with strainght bole of 15 m. This trial of Instia bijuga was planted in July 1974 in Dami, West New Britain. The average diameter of best form trees is 50 cm and height 20 m with clear bole about 15 m. This is a promising growth of a strogest hardwood timer species of PNG and recommended as a potential plantation as well as farm species

Native Forest Plantation Research Species screening on a number selected new high altitude species have been carried out with some promise. These are: Nothafagus perriyii, Castanopsis accuninitissima and Agathis alba.

Native species trial on grassland On the grassland areas a successful species trial at Dabua near Watarais, Markham Valley. Planted in October, 1998. The grassland area has been turned into a forest land. The trial also showed us that some form of cultivation is required prior to planting of trees and that hardwood species such as Anisoptera thurifera, Pometia pinnata, Intsia bijuga, Araucaria cunninghamii and Araucaria hunsteinii required shade at the initial stages of growth in the first five years to assist them perform well.

Forest Research Information Lack of research outputs of plantation species should no longer an excuse for lack of attempt on small scale tree farming in PNG. Eucalyptus grandis seed tree selection for seed collection Instia bijuga seed tree Elmerrillia papuana seed tree

Land Issues as a Challenge to CF Land issues can put off any projects; be it large or small; be it landowner driven, Government or Private. Be large scale logging or tree farming To do a landuse activity outside of land owner s agreement is not a best way to get the projects going The Government through NFS should assume responsibility for preparing the landowners to be worthy participants in tree farming joint ventures. How can that happen when the NFS is concerned about the security of tree farms on landowners land?

Facilitating small holder tree farming models Tree farming using Nuclear Enterprise Model (NEM) Joint venture and leasing scheme arrangement with annuity payments (Hybrid Model, AUSPNG) Landowner landuse planning Landowner ID & Mapping Clan boundaries ID & Mapping Natural Resource Inventory & Mapping Generation of data and model creation using Multiple use planning tool. (Golman, 2008) All done with LO s Clan interaction to determine the optimum landuse decision values

Facilitating small holder tree farming models Different landuse options Species preferences Economic returns of different species and cash crops Optimum time allocation in the different land uses and tree farming systems.

Summary Policies developed since the colonial era but with very negligible progress in plantation development With the advent of community/tree farming, as a means to enable landowners participatory approach, the institutional arrangement is not conducive Other issues apart from research outputs and landowners tenure and customary issues can be overcome provided the former and the later are facilitated by added Government input through empowering the LOs. There is a trend by the current ACIAR studies that Los in Markham are showing the interest of small scale nursery establishment, however, they must be guided along and supervised, otherwise people can easily loose hope, There are ways in which to allow tree farming as a JV arrangement through lease back arrangements Furthermore the use of multiple use planning model to assist in the decision making process can be adopted to make technical as well as landowner decisions

Conclusions Traditionally tree farming has been undertaken in isolation from the Government s policy framework, however, to date the policies of reforestation have not been fully implemented which gives another dimension to the community forestry and tree farming as an activity that would require Government intervention to contribute to community forestry efforts. From this presentation two areas are important for close attention and these are; the research into the Landowner s decision processes of clans and using that information to integrate with overall framework of the tree farming. Furthermore, develop a framework that should link with the overall Government institutional arrangement. There should be research also on the different tree farming models which can be adopted based on the economic feasibility of community forestry

Acknowledgements ACIAR IUFRO USC FST 2011/057 PROJECT TEAM CONFERENCE ORGANISERS