SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY

1
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY

• What is it?
• Can it be done?

2
Sustainable Forest

• To practice sustainable forestry, one must
  first define a sustainable forest. Many
  definitions!
• Sustainable Forest . . . the capacity of
  forests, ranging from stands to ecoregions, to
  maintain their health, productivity, diversity,
  and overall integrity, in the long run, in the
  context of human activity and use. The
  Dictionary of Forestry, 1998.

3
Sustainable Forest Management

• The practice of meeting the forest resource
  needs and values of the present without
  compromising the similar capability of future
  generations . . . practicing a land stewardship
  ethic . . . managing for useful products with the
  conservation of soil, air and water quality,
  wildlife and fish habitat, and aesthetics. UN
  Conference on Environment and Development, Rio De
  Janeiro, 1992.

4
Sustainable Forestry

• The topic of many international summits,
  protocols, etc., to establish criteria and
  indicators for sustainability.
• Rio Summit, 1992 International focus.
• ITTO, 1992 Tropical moist forests.
• Helsinki Accords, 1998 European and
  Mediterranean boreal and temperate forests.
• Tarapoto Proposal, 1995 Amazon forests.
• Near East Process, (Cairo), 1996
  International indicators.

5
Sustainable Forestry

• Common theme
• Forest resources and forest lands should be
  sustainably managed to meet the social, economic,
  ecological, cultural, and spiritual needs of
  present and future generations. Rio Summit,
  1992.

6
Sustainable Forestry

• Common criteria
• conservation of biological diversity
• maintaining productive capacity of forest
  ecosystems
• maintaining ecosystem health and vitality
• conservation of soil and water resources
• recognition of important role in global carbon
  cycles
• maintenance of socioeconomic benefits, present
  and future
• development of a framework insuring
  sustainability

7
Sustainable Forestry

• Confusion with sustained yield
• Sustained yield deals with management intensity
  that provides for perpetual production of
  outputs.
• Sustainable forestry implies more than a focus
  on outputs, a more ecological process based
  management focus.

8
Sustainable Forest Management

• Certification of sustainable management
  practices
• AFPA Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
• FSC Forest Stewardship Council guidelines,
  third party certification i.e. SmartWood,
  Scientific Certification Systems, etc.
• Green Movement European markets.

9
Sustainable Forest Management

• The Menominee Forest example
• 220,000 acres
• 145 years of tribal management
• 1854 standing inventory 1.2 billion board
  feet
• 2000 standing inventory 1.7 billion board
  feet
• Average annual harvest of 20 million board
  feet per year, for over 100 years

10
Sustainable Forest Management

• Menominee Philosophies drive management
• Everything we have comes from Mother Earth.
  In treating the forest well, we honor Mother
  Earth.
• What we are doing today does not leave
  something to future generations. What we are
  doing today is borrowing from future
  generations.
• Sustainable Forest Management is a stewardship
  ethic on a very broad scale.