Project/activity information

The objective of this project was to facilitate the continued implementation of a community forest management system by members of the Chiquiaca and Orozas communities with the purpose of consolidating their rights of access and commercial utilisation of forest resources in a sustainable manner, as one of the options for improving their living conditions. More specifically, it aimed to implement socially, economically and environmentally sustainable harvesting technologies and systems consistent with national and international legislation, and offer a variety of timber species from managed forests to the regional and national markets.

The Project was completed in November 2004. In accordance with the project document, all planned activities, plus others not originally contemplated, were successfully carried out and achievements can be summarized as follows:
- The community “ASL Virgen de los Angeles” and its political/organizational structure have been legally recognised by the Municipality of Entre Rios, the Prefecture of Tarija and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Planning;
- The forest management plan for the 2,705 ha community forests of the “ASL Virgen de los Angeles” and the corresponding first yearly forestry operations plan were developed and further approved by the competent authorities, and are currently being implemented;
- A request for an extension of the “ASL Virgen de los Angeles” community forests to 4,376 ha is currently being assessed by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Planning;
- The forest management plan developed for the “Campo de Pinos” forests assigned to the carpentry cooperative “Aniceto Arce” has been finalized and is currently being evaluated by the competent authorities prior to its approval. Delays occurred because the cooperative is requesting territorial jurisdiction over a forest within a National Reserve and apparently the current forest law and its regulations are not clear in this regard or overlap with others;
- Several training workshops were conducted to the benefit of the members of the “ASL Virgen de los Angeles” community, the carpentry cooperative “Aniceto Arce”, and the “Orozena Handicraft Association” (originally the Orozas Mother’s Club). Topics included the Bolivian Forestry Law, forest inventories, forest nurseries and reforestation, portable sawmill operations, carpentry, lumber drying, strategic planning and small-business management;
- The “ASL Virgen de los Angeles” community was provided hands-on training and equipment for its harvesting operations, including a portable sawmill, a small truck, chain-saws and hand-held saws, 20 mules, and helmets and other security items;
- The carpentry cooperative “Aniceto Arce” and the “Orozena Handicraft Association” were provided hands-on training and carpentry equipment, including band saws, circular saws, planners and other miscellaneous hand-held carpentry tools;
- Three community forestry nurseries were established. To date these have jointly produced a total of 10,000 seedlings, which were planted in harvested areas;
- A Timber Market Study and Design of a Marketing Plan for the “ASL Virgen de los Angeles” was completed and put into action; and
- The aforementioned community organizations are currently marketing their value-added timber products directly to end-users, rather than selling to middle-men.

Among the many lessons learnt, it is relevant to highlight the following:
- The frequency by which the environmental and social legislation changed during the implementation of the project caused periods of legal and institutional uncertainty that directly affected the implementation schedule of the project, due in part to the changing responsibilities of the local governments with respect to SFM in the region. These delays, in addition to political and financial constraints, were detrimental to the implementation of the project in the short and medium term, particularly as regards the capacity building in the local communities;
- The remoteness and isolation of the project’s area of influence hindered project implementation. Transport and communications within the region are extremely difficult. Any future project of this kind should clearly consider these aspects at the planning stage; and
- Training in the technical aspects of forest management provided to the local communities was well planned and properly focused. However, the training needs of the community members, mostly illiterate with minimal knowledge beyond their community boundaries, as regard the operational and managerial aspects of SFM require a long-term effort, and greatly surpass what can realistically be provided by a project of this nature.