Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698075425531.pdf (Guyana)
ANNUAL REPORT 2007 GUYANA FORESTRY COMMISSION (GFC) 1 LIST OF DIRECTORS FOR 2007 Chairman: Mr. T. Balgobin Commissioner of Forests: Mr. James Singh Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Mr. K. Alladin Mr. Andrew Bishop Ms. Prema Ramanah Dr. Patrick Chesney Ms. Vanessa Benn Mr. Ovid Williams 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Directors for 2008 Message from the Commissioner Executive Summary Finance Division Performance of the Forest Sector 2 4 5 6 11 3 Commissioner’s Message Even though total production declined compared to 2006 values, there was an increase in export values; this confirmed that the international market is still relatively stable in its acceptance of forest produce from sustainably managed forests in Guyana.
Our stakeholders have continued to work in partnership with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and on the ground implementation of the collaboratively developed guidelines for Sustainable Forest Management continues to be extremely encouraging.
Once again, GFC would like to thank the Board of Directors and Minister for their astute guidance; the staff of the GFC have continued to be committed and diligent and for another consecutive year, we have been able to satisfactorily complete in excess of 90% of Annual activities.

We count on your continued support in the coming year.

James Singh Commissioner of Forests 4 Executive Summary Production for 2007 (465,906m³) declined by 9.4% (from 2006 – 514,260m³).
This was mainly due to a tapering off of construction projects in the latter part of 2007.

However, export values increased over 2006 figures by 3.25%, totalling US$61.4751M.

Top export markets continued to be the Asia/Pacific Region, followed by the Latin American and Caribbean Region, then Europe, followed by North America.

A summary of key projects completed in 2007 is provided, in addition to a brief outline of routine Guyana Forestry Commission activities.
Extension services and training in the guidelines for Sustainable Forest Management were also done on a continuous basis for the sector.
5 Finance Division Performance of the Forest Sector Production, Exports, Prices, Employment, Land Allocation and Licenses GFC, as an ongoing activity, reports on forest sector data on production volumes, export volumes and values, employment totals, domestic and export price trends, and concessions level performance on a monthly, quarterly, half yearly and annual basis for various areas.

The Commission also produces forecasts on forest sector performance.
Elements of these reports are sent to key bodies including the GFC’s Board of Directors, the Bank of Guyana, the Ministry of Finance, the Bureau of Statistics and regional and international entities such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United National (FAO) and the International tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), among other entities.

Information is also supplied to other stakeholders upon request.
Production Volumes For the year 2007, Production volumes for Logs reduced, while Sawnwood (Lumber), Roundwood, Plywood and Splitwood increased when compared with 2006.

The combined output of the above products (Timber and Plywood production) fell by 9.40% from 514,260.47m3 to 465,906.69m3.

The drop in log production is mainly due to higher costs of production from rising fuel prices, and poor weather conditions among other factors.
In addition, by first quarter 2007 most of the boom in production coming from construction activities linked to Cricket World Cup had reduced leading to a comparatively lower total as compared to 2006.

Overall performance was also affected by a decline in Greenheart and Purpleheart log production together with a fall-off in both exports and domestic consumption of Wallaba Poles.

However, production of Piles, particularly from Greenheart, increased due to rising domestic and external demand.
11 Graph showing monthly trends in Log production for 2006 and 2007 (in m3)0500010000150002000025000300003500040000450005000020061039033691439264645832501151482551336265454344179640197226502007235343337634714261842775214114143363658136768355002706220452JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec Log Production by County and Forest Stations The county of Essequibo, which holds the majority of State Forest Lands and allocated Production areas, produced 227,671.09m3 or 68.91% national log volume, followed by Berbice (52,995.04 m3) and then Demerara (49,707.88m3).
Of Essequibo’s eleven (11) Forest Stations, the three (3) most productive were Buckhall (78,213.61m3), Iteballi (44,132.39 m3) and Supenaam (37,091.24m3) and together accounting for 70.03% of the region’s total and 48.26% national log output.

Buckhall station also surpassed the respective regional volumes for Demerara and Berbice.

76.53% Greenheart logs (64,751.30 m3) and 85.21% Purpleheart logs (39,429.86 m3) were extracted in Essequibo.
The majority of production in Berbice was recorded at the Springlands station (23,536.92 m3 or 44.41% region volume.

In Demerara the most production was recorded at Mabura (31,053.72 m3 or 62.47% region total).

The decline in overall log volume for 2007 was led by a drop in Special Category production, in particular for Greenheart and Purpleheart log production.
Greenheart production fell by 34.64% (44,849.51m3), from 129,459.65m3 to 84,610.14m3, while Purpleheart production was less by 6.30% (3,109.33m3) moving from 49,383.29m3 to 46,273.96m3.

This fall off in production follows declines in Special Category production from leading station, Buckhall (by 14,066.06 m3 or 32.10% from 43,817.99m3 to 29,751.93m3) and from Iteballi (by 6,891.68m3 or 22.35% from 30,832.45m3 to 23,940.77m3).
Plywood Production Plywood production for 2007 of 39,189.32m3 represents an increase by 13.61% over the 2006 level of 34,493.91m3.
12 Graph showing Plywood production for years 2006 and 2007 (in m3)0100020003000400050006000200667103649306436884177362128983630370534911900200734264231486527164492230624262360332742954227518JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 13 Total Production by Quarter for January - December 2007 Year-to-DatePRODUCTSUnitQuarter 1Quarter 2Quarter 3Quarter 4Jan-Dec 2007TIMBER PRODUCTSLogsm3Special Category Greenheart26,308.82 15,674.25 23,417.35 19,209.72 84,610.14 Purpleheart11,553.37 9,952.82 11,812.07 12,955.70 46,273.96 Others1,819.03 2,313.06 1,720.20 2,919.03 8,771.32 Total Special Category Logs39,681.22 27,940.13 36,949.62 35,084.45 139,655.42 Class 117,856.69 17,805.27 19,762.12 21,292.85 76,716.93 Class 227,480.44 14,666.14 24,232.14 19,127.95 85,506.67 Class 36,605.88 7,638.74 6,741.55 7,508.82 28,494.99 Total Other Class Logs51,943.01 40,110.15 50,735.82 47,929.62 190,718.59 Total Logs91,624.23 68,050.28 87,685.44 83,014.07 330,374.02 Roundwoodm3Greenheart Piles2,934.55 3,166.32 3,830.91 5,333.70 15,265.48 Kakaralli Piles94.98 329.72 199.89 272.36 896.95 Mora Piles- - - - - Wallaba Poles505.92 551.03 608.80 708.76 2,374.51 Posts95.32 294.99 296.93 1,606.66 2,293.90 Spars0.01 14.97 4.07 15.06 34.11 Total Roundwood3,630.78 4,357.03 4,940.60 7,936.54 20,864.94 Primary (Chainsaw) Lumber m3Special CategoryGreenheart1,135.11 1,191.77 1,253.21 1,437.97 5,018.07 Purpleheart1,886.50 3,757.73 1,436.37 1,591.78 8,672.38 Others459.81 646.80 688.57 649.64 2,444.82 Total Special Category Lumber3,481.42 5,596.30 3,378.15
 3,679.39 16,135.26 Class 17,678.77 9,956.87 9,037.72 10,578.34 37,251.70 Class 22,820.33 3,149.40 3,577.31 3,490.30 13,037.34 Class 32,248.78 1,623.21 1,877.56 2,189.69 7,939.24 Total Other Class Lumber12,747.88 14,729.48 14,492.59 16,258.33 58,228.29 Total Primary Lumber16,229.30 20,325.78 17,870.75 19,937.72 74,363.55 Splitwoodm3Staves (Paling Staves; Vat Staves)223.17 133.93 254.91 263.25 875.26 Vat Staves- - - - - Shingles71.03 76.49 25.47 66.61 239.60 Total Splitwood294.20 210.42 280.38 329.86 1,114.86 FuelwoodCharcoalkg52,986.20 57,578.29 59,030.25 75,128.39 244,723.13 Firewoodm35,907.82 5,475.90 7,503.40 5,499.28 24,386.40 - Plywoodm312,521.90 9,514.41 8,113.15 9,039.86 39,189.32 NON - TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS Wattlespieces37,905.00 38,801.00 53,408.00 46,209.00 176,323.00 Manicole Palm stems646,810.00 650,477.00 895,668.00 285,684.00 2,478,639.00 Other NTFP's (Mangrove Bark; Balata)pieces- - - 150.00 150.00 Exports Summary Sustained growth of 4% – 5% in the world economy annually since 2003, particularly for Guyana’s major timber export regions of Asia/Pacific and Europe, along with average prices for most products has impacted positively on total value exports of Forestry products in 2007.
The continued work of the GFC in building the local industry’s market potential has also been instrumental in positively influencing this trend, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The table below (page 16) compares Annual export performances for years 2006 and 2007 categorized by product and category as applicable.

Exports of Forestry products for the year 2007 recorded an overall increase in value by 3.25% over the previous year.
This was despite decreases in export volumes and values of some products, particularly Logs (volume 17.66%; value 6.41%) and Undressed Lumber (volume 8.65; value 2.78%).

It is noteworthy and encouraging that the trend for exports in 2007 has been in favour of higher valued and value-added products.

This combined with greater prices for higher-processed Timber products has facilitated the increase in export value.
The decline in exports of some products was offset primarily by an increase in the volume and value of the higher processed product: ‘Dressed Lumber’, which increased by 20.22% in volume and 39.47% in value.
The larger increase in export value is due to an increase (by 16.01%, from US$485.07 to US$562.73, per m3) in the average prices of Dressed Lumber, particularly for Special Category and Category 1 Lumber, average prices per m3 for which increased 16.34% (from US$530.80 to US$586.11) and 16.99% (from US$420.01 to US$491.35), respectively.

There were also notable increases in the exports of Roundwood (volume 2.16%, value 26.72%) and Splitwood (volume 29.84%; value 41.65%).
The greater increases in value are the result of higher average prices per m3 for products in these groups.

While Plywood exports increased marginally by 1.54% in volume and 0.92% in value, indicating a decline in average prices per m3 by 0.61%.
14 Export analysis by main Products and Markets The largest export region continues to be Asia/Pacific which accounted for 39.51% of total export value (US$24.29 M), followed by the Latin America/Caribbean region with 29.41% (US$18.09 M), Europe 17.39% (US$17.39 M), and North America 11.20% (US$6.89 M).

The main export items to the Asia/Pacific region were Logs (US$20.27 M), while Sawnwood was the main item to Latin America/Caribbean (US$11.47 M) and Europe (US$4.62M).
The main export item to North America was Plywood (US$3.06).

The marked increase in Roundwood export value was due to higher prices per m3 obtained for these products, especially for Piles( prices for which rose by 44%, moving from an average of US$194.23 to US$202.05, per m3), which comprise the largest share of Roundwood exports (61.18% in 2006 and 88.23% in 2007).

While, Shingles contributed the bulk of increases for Splitwood exports, with Shingles export value rising 44.11% (US$0.53M).
This increase came primarily from higher exports to the Latin America/Caribbean market (additional US$0.27M) and to new Markets in Africa (Mauritius) which imported US$0.20M worth of Guyana’s shingles.

There was also an increase in the value of Secondary Processed Wood Products (SPWP) exports, the largest increase being posted by Outdoor/Garden Furniture.
This product increased 34.08% (US$0.75 M) in value, with the largest increase coming from the European market which saw a rise by 30.61% (US$0.63 M) in value.

Asia/Pacific was again the dominant destination region for Logs, Latin America & the Caribbean, the major region for Sawnwood and North America absorbed the most Plywood and Roundwood.
15 16 Export Products - Volumes and ValuesPRODUCTVolume (m3)Value (US$)% Val 1% Val 2LogsSpecial Category96,436.46 14,271,138.56 68.5%23.2%Class 143,735.50 4,871,653.07 23.4%7.9%Class 23,555.74 401,532.07 1.9%0.7%Class 313,369.57 1,302,922.00 6.2%2.1%Total Logs157,097.28 20,847,245.70 100.0%33.9%SawnwoodDressed8,915.45 5,225,399.29 80.2%8.5%Undressed16,132.99 8,481,756.11 55.3%13.8%Total25,048.43 13,707,155.40 62.7%22.3%Dressed2,496.98 1,226,894.16 18.8%2.0%Undressed11,354.78 5,126,595.40 33.4%8.3%Total13,851.76 6,353,489.56 29.1%10.3%Dressed18.58 5,934.28 0.1%0.0%Undressed1,241.86 445,465.47 2.9%0.7%Total1,260.44 451,399.75 2.1%0.7%Dressed144.12 55,436.57 0.9%0.1%Undressed3,519.76 1,294,817.48 8.4%2.1%Total3,663.89 1,350,254.05 6.2%2.2%Dressed11,575.13 6,513,664.30 10.6%Undressed32,249.39 15,348,634.46 25.0%Total43,824.52 21,862,298.76 35.6%Roundwood13,815.85 2,899,341.25 4.7%Splitwood3,092.62 1,725,223.91 2.8%Plywood24,317.43 8,877,000.75 14.4%Total Timber and Plyw.242,147.70 56,211,110.37 91.4%Other Value Added Products 35,037,344.45 8.2%Other Products 4226,664.13 0.4%Total Export Value61,475,118.95 100.0%1 Percent of Product/Group Total Value2 Percent of Total Export Value for the Year3 Other Value-Added Products include Furniture, Building Componentry, etc4 Other Products include Fuelwood, Non-Timber Forest Products, Craft & Ornaments/UtensilsClass 3 SawnwoodTotal SawnwoodJanuary to December 2007Special CategoryClass 1 SawnwoodClass 2 Sawnwood Forestry Sector Export Earnings by Destination Exports to the
 Asia/Pacific region led revenue earnings in 2007 with a total of US$24.29M, accounting for 39.51% of export earnings.
This is just 0.48% higher than export revenue earned from this region in 2006.

India with 46.60% (US$11.32M) region revenue and China with 41.22% (US$10.01M) dominated the region.

The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region followed with exports of US$ 18.08M (29.41% of total export earnings) an increase of 3.31% over the US$17.50M earned last year.

Barbados with US$7.61M and Trinidad and Tobago with US$2.68M were the top destinations with 42.08% and 14.83% of total region value, respectively.
Sawnwood was the top export earner going to both Barbados (US$6.41M) and Trinidad (US$1.22M).

Other Value-Added products (building components etc.)

with US$2.23M was the second highest export earner to the LAC region, behind Sawnwood (US$11.47M).

The third most lucrative region for Guyana’s forest products exports was Europe, with a total revenue of US$10.69M representing 17.39% of all export revenue for the review period but 4.04% (US$0.45M) less than the 2006 period earnings of US$11.14M.
This drop is due to the drop in plywood exports to Europe.

Sawnwood (US$4.62M), particularly the undressed variety (US$4.42M) was the lead product to the European market, followed by Plywood (US$2.74M).

Revenue from North America totalled US$6.89 M contributing 11.20% of total earnings and exceeding the 2006 level of US$5.75M by 19.83% (US$1.14M).

This increase in value was due to higher Plywood and Roundwood (Piles) exports to this region.
Revenue from South America (US$1.31M) was mainly from Plywood Exports to Suriname (US$1.00M).

Mauritius was the main destination in Africa, having exported US$0.20M worth of Shingles from Guyana.
17 Graph showing the distribution of Export Earnings/Value by Regional destinations in 2007 (in USD millions)24.2918.0810.696.891.310.22-5.0010.0015.0020.0025.0030.00Value 24.29 18.08 10.69 6.89 1.31 0.22 Asia/PacificLatin America/CaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaAfrica Export Prices Export prices vary widely by products, species, product quality, destinations etc.

For the two years reviewed – 2006 and 2007, the observed trend is one of higher average prices in 2007 across most months of the year.
Average prices for Logs peaked in mid-2007, as poor weather in Asia led to a shortage of Logs in that market and hence higher prices.

Average prices for Lumber increased steadily in 2007, indicative of the higher demand for Dressed Lumber which attracts a better price than the undressed variety.
18 Graph showing the average monthly prices for Logs for years 2006 and 2007 (USD per m3)-20.0040.0060.0080.00100.00120.00140.00160.00180.00JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecMonth20062007 Graph showing the average monthly prices for Lumber for years 2006 and 2007 (USD per m3)-100.00200.00300.00400.00500.00600.00JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecMonth20062007 Average prices for Plywood was largely unchanged in the first half of the year but dipped in July, August and September.
Market Outlook for Guyana’s Timber Exports Efforts are being made in the UK to boost housing, with the Prime Minister expressing hope for 3 million more units to be built in the next 13 years, but credit problems have dampened increases in housing starts thus far.

However, the long-run prospects appear favourable for increased demand for wood and wood products to the UK.

In Germany, housing permits for 2007, compared with January 2006, were down by 59.0% and permits for apartment blocks were down 22.6%.
High demand for plywood in Europe is expected to open up opportunities for increasing Guyanese plywood exports to this region.

In China, it is likely that medium term demand will remain strong, since the wood processing sector there continues to expand its markets and scale of operations.

Additionally, there is a growing demand for logs suitable for paper manufacture.
In the American market, a downturn in the housing sector has been compounded with estimates for slower growth in corporate profits (5.0% this year compared to 21.4% last year) thus lowering prospects for demand for wood and wood products in this market.

However, demand for certain high priced commodities such as furniture and flooring remains strong in some segments of the market.
Demand in the Latin American and Caribbean region is expected to remain strong in 2008, reflecting high prices for processed wood products and larger volumes.

19 Graph showing the average monthly prices for Plywood for years 2006 and 2007 (USD per m3)-50.00100.00150.00200.00250.00300.00350.00400.00450.00JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecMonth20062007 Employment Employment data for the Forestry Sector over the years 2005 to 2007 is shown in the Table below.
Forest Sector Employment: Years 2005 to 2007 During 2007, employment within the sector increased moderately in almost all activity areas.

This is in keeping, with expectations, since more operators entered the sector in 2007, as evident from the increases in numbers of licences issued.

The largest percentage increase in employment came from the new Lumber Yards licensed during the year.
The GFC is also continuing its Social Development Programme, which includes the formalization of additional rural/hinterland Community Forestry groupings and capacity building at this level.

These widen community access to forest resources, while creating opportunities for employment and wider economic benefits.
20 ActivityYear 2005Year 2006Year 2007Percentage Increase/(Decrease)Logging 12,229 14,097 14,852 5.4%Sawmilling 4,051 4,241 4,330 2.1%Timber Dealership (Lumber Yards) 1,647 1,825 2,037 11.6%Plywood 712 699 650 -7.0%Manicole Palm 658 658 658 0.0%Other* 4,340 4,369 4,500 3.0%TOTAL 23,637 25,889 27,027 4.4%* Other: includes activities in Furniture, Building Components, Craft, Utensils/Ornaments, Firewood and Charcoal Land Allocation Breakdown The table below shows a breakdown of Land Allocation within the Forestry Sector.
It does not include Private Property and Amerindian Lands.

A large portion of State Forests (38.5% or 5.3M hectares) remains unallocated.

GFC estimates productive area availability to be just over half the current unallocated lands, at 2.63 M hectares or 19.24% of State Forests, since some areas may be used for future national development initiatives, such as interior road networks and expansion of Amerindian lands etc.
21 Summary of State Forest Allocations as at December 31, 2007ClassificationCountArea% %% (Hectares)Area TypeTotal AllocationState ForestProduction Area AllocationsState Forest Permissions (SFP)299863,75012.5%10.3%6.3%Wood Cutting Lease (WCL)3295,6104.3%3.5%2.2%Timber Sales Agreement (TSA)274,492,36664.8%53.4%32.8%SFP Conversion Areas27540,4817.8%6.4%4.0%State Forest Exploratory Permit (SFEP)4737,26410.6%8.8%5.4%Total Production Area Allocations3606,929,471100.0%82.3%50.7%Permanent Research & Reserve AreasIwokrama Research Site1371,59225.0%4.4%2.7%GFC Forest Reserves1118,1471.2%0.2%0.1%Other Research & Reserve Sites31,095,95573.8%13.0%8.0%Total Research and Reserve Areas151,485,694100.0%17.7%10.9%Total Forests Allocated3758,415,165100.0%61.5%Unallocated Forests5,263,45138.5%38.5%Total State Forests 13,678,616100.0% Other Forest Sector Licences Sector activity licenses are valid for one (1) calendar year only; continued production requires annual renewals.
The Table below indicates the number of licenses issued for the years 2006 and 2007.
22 Activity LicensesEnd December Comparison - Years 2006 & 2007Activity/Period DivisionTotalLicense TypeDemeraraEssequiboBerbiceNorthwestYear 20074041302113Year 20063935281103Year 200767462513151Year 20067329169127Year 2007201313147Year 20061573025Year 200719642449291Year 200616524388235Year 200734007Year 200613105Year 200734007Year 20062439Year 20071711019Year 20061000010Year 2007643013Year 2006542011Permit to Erect SawmillSawmillSawpitTimber DealersTimber DepotTimber PathCharcoalFirewood Projects Completed in 2007 Promotion of Lesser Used Wood Species (LUS) in Guyana In 2007, the GFC embarked on an initiative targeted at broadening the timber species utilization base and enhancing forest sector development by promoting the utilization of lesser used wood species.
The main activities under this project were to complete a review of the characteristics of 15 specifics LUS, testing of these species for suitability for external and marine applications by conducting natural durability, abrasion and marine borer tests, production of promotional materials and conducting of training sessions in the characteristics of the 15 LUSs.

These activities commenced in 2007 with the training sessions; reports on testing are expected to be completed in early 2008.
The main findings of the deliverables completed so far indicate that the majority of the 15 LUS can be used for end use application similar to that of the existing commercial species.

This project is already showing results with production and exports (both in terms of products and volumes) expanding in 2007 and sold to new markets.

This project was financed by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).
Integrating Bar Coding Technology in Timber Tracking and Enhancing Monitoring of the Forest Cover through Remote Sensing Imagery Analyses A project proposal on this important area of forest management, was developed in 2007 and financing was sought from the International Tropical Timber Organisation.

Financing was granted in June 2007 and the Project officially began in September 2007 with the advertisement for consultants and the drafting of the annual work plan for the project.
The project aims at enhancing forest management and legality in timber harvesting, and trade by developing an integrated and dynamic GIS that will incorporate satellite image analysis using illegality indicators, and a legality database; and by establishing a bar-code log-tracking system that will feed into a central database linked to a national wide-area network.

These are intended to allow for near real-time transfer of data and the availability of tracking information for the regulatory agency.
The outcome of the project will be an environment where detection of illegal logging and other non- compliant activities will be dramatically improved in the forest, in transit and at point of sale.

This will see improved detection of illegal activities acting as an effective deterrent resulting in a marked reduction in the incidence of illegal activities.

The beneficial immediate effects of this will be registered in the national economy, local communities and the forest environment.
23 Community Forestry Development As part of GFC’s programme for community forestry development, in 2007, the GFC engaged several additional communities to further its work in this area.

The GFC worked in close collaboration with several communities and the Guyana Micro Projects Programme, a Government of Guyana, European Union (GMPP, GoG/EU) initiative, geared at continuing the development of communities and groups in Guyana.
In 2007, the GFC worked with five (5) communities in seeking donor funding through assisting them in drafting project proposal, implementing project activities and project reporting.

These communities were: Three Friends Maria Elizabeth, Orealla Siparuta, Kwebana, Capoey and Caria Caria.

The main project activities were: training in forest inventory, reduced impact logging, harvest planning and occupational health and safety among other key areas.
Each community received G$2.6M for training and purchase of small equipment, inclusive of safety gears, under this project initiative.
The GFC, through its Social Development Programme (SDP) and community Forestry Initiative held a meeting in 2007 with the SDP Committee which comprises of representative from the following agencies: Ministry of: Amerindian Affairs, Education, Health, Local Government, Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, NARI and the Guyana Marketing Cooperation.
The meeting provided a forum for the sharing of ideas and the exchange of experiences relating to community development.

Through this Programme several outreach meeting and training sessions were held at communities including Linden, Maria Elizabeth Three Friends, Ituni and Santa Aratack.

To track and plan for the development of community forest activities, the GFC compiled community profiles for each community forest group established.
These profiles contain key information such as the number of members, forest resource base, location, economic activities, and forest land holding.

The GFC hopes to enhance this profile by including equipment holding and updated forest inventory information, in 2008.

Formation of Community Loggers Association In 2007, several additional community loggers associations were formed to enhance the economic and social livelihoods and welfare of community members.
These include: i. Aroaima Forest and Agricultural Producers (Region 10) ii.

Pomona Chainsaw Lumbering Association (Region 2) iii.

Wauna Loggers Association (Region 1) iv.

Parika Mora Forest and Agriculture Producers Association (Region 3) v. Santa Cruz Village Council (Region 1) 24 vi.

Yarakita Community Development Council (CDC) (Region 1) vii.

Kairuni Silverhill Forest Producers Association (Region 4) viii.
Kartabo Sunrising Loggers Association (Region 7) The GFC assists these communities in establishing a constitution to govern the activities of the Association and lends support to the members and the group in the planning and implementation of its forestry activities.
Sustainable Forestry Management and Hinterland Community Development – Kwebana and Batavia Communities The GFC partnered with the World Wild Life Find (WWF), with financial support from the British High Commission, in enhancing the capacity of two target communities: Kwebana (Region 1) and Batavia (Region 7) in capacity building and sustainable forest management activities, in 2007.
As this project is scheduled to be completed in the latter half of 2008, some of the activities completed in 2008 were: training in forest inventory, planning, directional felling, planned extraction, use and maintenance of equipment; education and awareness activities conducted in forest regulation, legal ownership of cutting license, and sustainable forest management techniques; and training in resources evaluation and mapping, planning of harvesting including Reduced Impact Logging.
Strengthening Sustainable Forest Management in Guyana In 2007, the GFC commenced implementation of a project aimed at enhancing sustainable forest management in Guyana by promoting improved practices, education and awareness in key forestry areas, institutional strengthening and conducting relevant monitoring and research activities.

This project is scheduled for 2 years and commenced in the latter half of 2007.
Among the activities completed in 2007 were the final workshop for the establishment of the Legal Verification System, preparation of training materials in key forest areas, and planning for two forest inventory exercises in communities.

The larger part of the project will be implemented in 2008.

Development of Policy to address the Issue of Log Exports In 2007, the GFC commenced development of a National Policy to address the issue of log export.
The intention of this Policy is to encourage value adding in the local economy and to discourage the trend of increasing log exports.

The GFC, through the auspices of a Ministerial Committee set up to address the issue, as established by the Hon.

Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Robert Persaud, coordinated this process.
In this process, a national consultation was held in February of 2007 which 25 informed a policy position drafted by the GFC, for consideration at the levels of the Minister of Agriculture and the Office of the President.

The general consensus from the consultation was the need for a policy to encourage local value adding in the timber industry.

This policy is expected to be finalized in 2008.


Other Project Initiatives GFC developed two additional project proposals in 2007 in the following areas: development of a National Forest Fire Management Strategy for Guyana, and, assessing Guyana’s ability to report on and compliance with the ITTO Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management.

Both proposals were submitted to the International Tropical Timber Organization and were successful in gaining financial support.
These initiatives will be implemented in the first quarter of 2008.

Preparatory activities were conducted in the latter half of 2007 for project activity implementation.

Routine Divisional Activities Routine (and impromptu) monitoring visits were done to all forest concessions and licenced operations.

Compliance with the GFC guidelines was generally satisfactory.
Routine reviews of Annual Operational Plans, Forest Management Plans were also done; forest allocation of State Forest areas in accordance with the GFC transparent review procedures was also undertaken.

GFC continued to provide extension services and forest sector information and analyses to stakeholders on a regular basis.

Staffing Total staff complement in 2007 was 218 compared to 182 in 2006.

The attrition rate for 2007 was 53%.


GFC continued to make efforts to provide staff with market rate salaries, conducive work environment, on the job training, and the equipment/machinery to enable the effective completion of tasks assigned.

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