National Forest Management Strategy.

This National Forest Management Strategy is a nation-wide sectoral document aiming to serve as a guide for the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to implement the National Forestry Reform Law of 2006 and the National Forest Policy which aims to conserve and sustainably manage all forest areas so that they will continue to produce a complete range of goods and services for the benefit of all Liberians and contribute to poverty alleviation in the nation.
In order to develop this Strategy, the FDA conducted a National Forest Management Suitability Study that evaluates all forest areas for their relative suitability among various land uses. Principally, the FDA focuses on identifying the most suitable areas for the 3 C categories of Commercial, Conservation and Community. Thus, the objective of the suitability study is to identify forest areas most suitable for commercial, conservation, and community management. Final outcomes for the ideal status of Liberia's forests shall be (i) Integrity of 4.39 million hectares of close-dense and open-dense forest is maintained as best as possible; (ii) Commercial forestry activities ensure a sustainable production of forest products, provide long term employment, facilitate value-added inputs and industries, and contribute revenue through fees to the central government; (iii) Community forest management provides equitable access and benefits to local people that includes the production of timber and non-timber forest products, plus the use of forests for other purposes such as: cultural rituals; future farmland and settlement areas; and the protection of sacred sites; and (iv) Conservation management preserves biodiversity and maintains ecological services allowing the natural evolution and function of ecological processes. The FDA will implement the National Forest Management Strategy through its four technical departments (i) Commercial, (ii) Community, (iii) Conservation, and (iv) Research and Development. The FDA has established an Objective Statement and set of goals for each department.
Goal of the Commercial Department is to re-start and regulate commercial forestry activity in accordance with Liberia’s laws and the FDA’s regulations and according to the sustainability objectives of the National Forest Policy. Goal of the Community Department is to assist communities in realizing the benefits of forest resources and managing forest resources in a sustainable manner. Goal of the Conservation Department is to conserve Liberia’s forest biodiversity and ecological services through the regulation of wildlife consumption and the creation and management of Liberia’s National Protected Areas Network. And goal of the Research and Development Department is to develop and provide the FDA and partner organizations with relevant and accurate information to assist in forest management decision-making.
To make forestry more productive and sustainable, the Strategy aims at (i) re-starting the commercial forest industry based on sustainable forest land use management practices; (ii) developing agreements with neighboring countries to establish trans-boundary conservation areas; (iii) developing and maintaining an up-to-date and accurate spatial database of forest information and provide timely and accurate information; (iv) identifying and establishing hunting zones to avoid encroachment on protected areas by hunters; and (v) enforcing the ban on hunting of all protected wildlife species and the use of chemicals in water to kill fish and other marine life.
In order to reduce rural poverty, main actions are directed to (i) will promote job creation through value-added production in urban and rural areas and (ii) create skilled jobs and foster a legitimate private forestry sector that develops value-added products.
A more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems shall be enabled through (i) the development and implementation of incentives to modernize the wood-processing industry including facilitating market access through research and training programs and (ii) empowerment of local communities to establish the rights and responsibilities (with respect to forests) and a framework for community forest management that allows communities to maximize their benefits from all potential uses.
As for the Governance, the FDA will effectively and efficiently manage forest resources in accordance with the legal framework, guided by science, and with continued democratization of forest resources. Furthermore, the Governance Reform Commission (GRC) has created a Land Tenure Steering Group that will work to resolve some of the pressing and long term land tenure and land reform issues facing the nation. The FDA should work closely with the GRC to participate in the land tenure reform process.