Project/activity information

This project has been designed with the primary purpose of implementing promotion, marketing and sustainable management actions for 12 lesser-used timber species (LUTS), which are located in national public moist forest areas managed by ICF’s Social Forestry System (SFS)beneficiary organizations, forest owners and forest producers (public forest users and dwellers), among others. These species are mainly found in the departments of Atlantida, Colon and Northern Olancho (Municipalities of San Esteban and Dulce Nombre de Culmi).

By the late 18th century, Honduras started to develop a forest culture focused on the harvesting and utilization of highly valuable, traditional timber species such as: big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), cedar (Cedrela odorata) and red granadillo (Dalbergia retusa), among others. However, there are other lesser-used timber species that have excellent physical-mechanical properties and are found in national public areas of moist forests managed by community organizations that are beneficiaries of the country’s Social Forestry System. These species include piojo rojo (Tapirira guianensis), rosita (Hieronima alchorneoides), marapolán (Guarea grandiflora), santa María (Simphonia globulifera), san Juan areno (Ilex tectónica), huesito (Macrohasseltia macroterantha), paleto (Dialium guianensis) and san Juan colorado (Vochysia ferruginea), among others. It is expected that through the implementation of this project, these species will become more visible and significant in the country and will be promoted and marketed in national and international markets. The project is also expected to improve biodiversity and ecosystems in the target area, thus improving the regeneration of traditional species, which have been more intensively logged in the past.

The development objective of the project is to promote the sustainable management and harvesting of LUTS and other timber species of commercial value in public national forests managed by ICF’s SFS beneficiary organizations in the target area. Impact indicators are that by 2017, this initiative will have contributed to the sustainability and social and economic welfare of communities that depend on LUTS and non-timber forest products for their livelihood, through the promotion of natural moist forest harvesting, utilization, management and marketing on a sustainable basis. The proposal’s primary and secondary stakeholders include ICF, forest producers, SFS beneficiary forest owners and agroforestry groups, consultative councils and timber processing companies, among others.

Based on the above, expected outputs can be summarized as follows:
• Output 1: Promotion and marketing of 12 LUTS from moist forests;
• Output 2: Development of business plan for 12 LUTS;
• Output 3: Capacity building at the national and local levels to promote the harvesting, management, conservation and sustainable utilization of these timber species; and
• Output 4: Institutional strengthening in areas associated with the promotion of LUTS silviculture, management and conservation.