What is Community Forestry?
Community Forestry is a way of conserving the forest while at the same time taking advantage of its productive potential to obtain wood, fruits, oils, fibers, water, fauna, and firewood. The community that inhabits the forest is in charge of its exploitation, organizing and regulating the use of natural resources in a responsible and sustainable manner, and employing a business model which brings economic, ecological, and social benefits for an improvement in the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants.
Where is the Community Forestry initiative located?
The Community Forestry initiative is being developed in the northwestern end of the department of Guaviare, close to the Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park, in the municipality of San José de Guaviare which covers an area of 43,295 ha. This zone is covered by 17,662 ha of forest, which corresponds to 40% of the total area in which the project will take place.
Who is the program aimed at?
The Diversified Community Forestry initiative is being developed together with the Association of Community Action Boards of El Capricho (ASOCAPRICHO). It will involve 110 families living in 7 rural districts: Caño Nilo, Caño Lajas, Caño Pescado, Manaviri, Tortuga, Chuapal, and Paraíso.
What is the aim of the program?
We are trying to reduce the rate of deforestation, halt expansion of the agricultural frontier, and improve production strategies and existing agricultural systems to reduce the population’s social isolation in the region and maintain its forests so that they may serve as the region’s main source of development.
What are our plans for this year?
- Strengthen technical, legal, and administrative know-how regarding the harvesting of non-timber products through community organization processes.
- This will be achieved by working on the following three key areas:
- The joint design of a Management Plan by the Community Forestry initiative’s institutional and community partners.
- Training in identification, collection, storage, and transportation of the non-timber species chosen for the Community Forestry initiative, and knowledge of their general ecology will be imparted to the community partners.
- Existing and potential production chains related to non-timber forest products will be identified to forge long-term partnerships and encourage cooperation between the different links in the chains of production, processing, and commerce.
Technical data sheets for the 4 species chosen for the project with ASOCAPRICHO, San José del Guaviare.
Training on the recognition, use, and management of chosen species, community forestry, etc.
