WHAT’S INSIDE?

R EDUCED - I MPACT L OGGING

❖ International Perspective:

Reduced-Impact Logging: Sustaining 

Tropical Forests and Biodiversity . . . . . . . . . .2

❖ Reduced-Impact Logging: What’s the 

Bottom Line? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

❖ Asia-Pacific: A Visionary Approach to

Sustainable Forestry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

❖ Congo Basin: Making Forestry Sustainable . . .5

❖ News Bits from Around the World . . . . . . . . . .6

❖ Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

1

ation with its Brazilian subsidiary, the Fundaçao Floresta Tropical. Working with local

landowners, the Fundaçao Floresta Tropical

established study plots for comparing conventional logging to sustainable forest

management through reduced-impact logging. Conditions vary widely across

Amazonia, so the Fundaçao Floresta Tropical used the same reduced-impact logging

approach to develop different models on

different sites.

Results are striking. Through careful

planning, training, and technology application,

reduced-impact logging can diminish the

amount of ground disturbed and the damage

done to remaining trees by up to 50 percent

and the volume of residues left behind by

logging by two-thirds. Reduced-impact logging also creates more local jobs than

conventional logging, helping to stabilize

local communities. Moreover, reducedimpact logging is cost-effective: At one study

site, cost per cubic meter of wood produced

was 12 percent less using reduced-impact

logging than using conventional logging.

REDUCED-IMPACT LOGGING IN

AMAZONIA: BETTER FOR THE

ENVIRONMENT AND BETTER FOR

BUSINESS.

Amazonia: Changing the Face of Logging 

by Johan C. Zweede

No. 2, February 2003: 

Reduced–Impact Logging

ubber, quinine, Brazil nuts—

many common products

originated in the Amazon

basin. Yet we have tapped only a tiny fraction of Amazonia’s potential. Whether for

food, for pharmaceuticals, or for “ecological services” such as carbon sequestration,

the Amazon rainforest is an invaluable

resource for future generations worldwide.

That future potential is threatened.

Thousands of square miles of rainforest

are lost each year due to deforestation. 

For developing Amazonia countries

with surging populations, forest preservation throughout Amazonia’s vast interior is

not a viable option. But forest conservation

might be another matter. Can the countries

that share Amazonia’s resources both use

the rainforest for timber and conserve its

wealth for future generations?

In 1994, the Tropical Forest Foundation—

supported by the U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, the U.S.

Agency for International Development, and

others—set out to find the answer in cooperR

KEISTER EVANS

News from International Programs of the USDA Forest Service

Training is key. The Fundaçao Floresta

Tropical provides onsite training for

foresters and forestry instructors at all 

levels—from tree identifiers to landowners.

Technology transfer, extension, research,

and publication programs round out the

Fundaçao Floresta Tropical’s activities.

Building on its success, the Fundaçao

Floresta Tropical is transforming itself into

a permanent forest management and training center based on partnerships among

the Brazilian government, industry, and

nongovernmental organizations. 

Today, by changing the face of logging

in Amazonia, the people of Brazil can use

the rainforest while still preserving its 

myriad benefits for future generations.

Johan Zweede is the director of Fundaçao Floresta Tropical,

the Brazilian subsidiary of the Tropical Forest Foundation, in

Belém, Pará, Brazil.
What Is the Tropical 

Forest Foundation?

The Tropical Forest Foundation is a nonprofit

organization dedicated to promoting sustainable

tropical forest management. Its members represent a wide range of industry, development,

research, and environmental organizations.

For more information on the Tropical Forest

Foundation, please visit 

http://www.tropicalforestfoundation.org.

2

n less than a decade, reducedimpact logging has evolved

from an environmental dream

into a legitimate component of numerous

sustainable tropical forestry initiatives. This

issue of Global Leaflet highlights key factors

in this remarkable change, discussing the

economic and ecological importance of

reduced-impact logging.

Conventional logging of tropical forests

for premium timber usually extracts a few

valuable logs (such as mahogany) per acre,

ignoring sustainable forestry practices. The

pioneering studies of IMAZON, a Brazilian

nongovernmental organization, documented the incredible inefficiency and damages

associated with conventional logging. 

By contrast, reduced-impact logging confers both ecological and economic benefits.

The USDA Forest Service funded a major

analysis of reduced-impact logging in the

Brazilian state of Pará. Carried out by the

Tropical Forest Foundation, the study documented the win-win merits of

reduced-impact logging: From an economic standpoint, reduced-impact logging

decreases the costs of logging by lessening

skidding time and improving felling and

yarding efficiencies; from an ecological

standpoint, reduced-impact logging diminishes damage to the forest through

directional felling and minimal skidding.

Thanks to its economic and ecological

benefits, reduced-impact logging has quickly become key to national and international

efforts to certify production forestry operations in natural tropical forests. For

example, the Code of Practice for Forest

Harvesting in Asia-Pacific, published in

1999 by the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission, is helping to build regional support for

reduced-impact logging in this region. 

Commercial forestry operations are

enthusiastic about incorporating reducedimpact logging into their harvesting

practices. However, the scarcity of trained

employees prevents reduced-impact logging from being more rapidly adopted.

Through its Brazilian subsidiary, the Tropical Forest Foundation has developed a

successful training program for reducedimpact logging in the Brazilian Amazon. 

In forest-rich tropical countries, sustainable forestry has enormous potential for

conserving biodiversity. Protected areas,

such as national parks and reserves, generally cover less than 10 percent of the

national territory, leaving extensive areas

of tropical forests open to development. If

unprotected forests are not managed on a

sustainable basis for timber and other forest products, they are doomed to

conversion.

Reduced-Impact Logging: Sustaining Tropical Forests and Biodiversity

by Gary Hartshorn and Robert Petterson

The past decade has seen remarkable

changes in tropical forestry as timber companies try to improve their bottom line.

The rapid integration of reduced-impact

logging and certification into tropical timber operations by many companies is

especially heartening. We look forward to

an exciting future of tropical forestry operations that produce valuable wood, sustain

tropical forests, provide environmental

services, and protect biodiversity.

Gary Hartshorn, President and Chief Executive Officer of the

Organization for Tropical Studies, serves as Chairman of the

Board of Directors for the Tropical Forest Foundation, and

Robert Petterson, formerly Vice President of the Latin America Division of Caterpillar, Inc., serves as President of the

Tropical Forest Foundation.

I
What Is Reduced-Impact Logging?

Loggers in the Tropics typically remove only the

most valuable trees, such as mahogany. Other

trees are often killed or damaged in the process.

Reduced-impact logging is designed to minimize

the disturbances associated with selective timber

harvest. It is not a fixed prescription; it adapts the

best possible harvest techniques to local site and

market conditions. 

Reduced-impact logging typically includes extensive preharvest planning. Trees are inventoried

and mapped for efficient, cost-effective harvest.

Roads, skid trails, and log landings are planned

to minimize the number needed. Vines are cut to

protect adjacent trees. Trees are felled in the

direction least likely to damage adjacent trees and

other forest resources. Stumps are cut low to the

ground to utilize every inch of wood. Construction

techniques for roads, skid trails, and landings are

designed to minimize soil disturbance. Heavy

machinery is kept to skid trails, so logs are

winched. Slash is reduced to prevent fire hazards

from developing.

Benefits are palpable. Reduced-impact logging

systems typically produce less damage to residual forests, fewer roads and skid trails, less

erosion, better water quality, fewer fire hazards,

and faster forest regeneration.

3

KEISTER EVANS

t all comes down to the bottom line. Often, the only way

to protect forest resources in

cash-strapped developing countries is to

find ways of using them that are both sustainable and profitable. Reduced-impact

logging seems to fit the bill. 

Reduced-impact logging not only does

less environmental damage than conventional logging, but can also be more

efficient and cost-effective, according to

some studies. Tom Holmes, a USDA Forest

Service economist, working with the Tropical Forest Foundation and its Brazilian

subsidiary, Fundaçao Floresta Tropical,

compared costs and revenues from a typical reduced-impact logging system to a

typical large-scale conventional logging

system in the eastern part of the Amazon

basin in the Brazilian state of Pará. 

His findings are remarkable. Under

reduced-impact logging, training investments produced more efficient use of

machinery and timber. The overall cost per

cubic meter of wood produced was 12 percent less for reduced-impact logging than

for conventional logging.

However, study results do not necessarily apply to other timbersheds in the

Amazon basin, let alone elsewhere. Moreover, reduced-impact logging incurs costs

that conventional logging does not, such

as preharvest mapping, planning, and vine

cutting. Some studies have found that the

costs can outweigh the savings from using

reduced-impact logging.

I

KEISTER EVANS 

Reduced-Impact Logging: What’s the Bottom Line?

by Dennis P. Dykstra

Businesses are naturally risk averse,

and many loggers are loathe to adopt techniques that might reduce their profits.

Moreover, preconceived notions that

reduced-impact logging is less profitable

might prevent its adoption by companies

that would otherwise benefit.

The trick is to let individual loggers

actually see in advance how reducedimpact logging would affect their bottom

lines. In 2001, a team of international

cooperators began developing software to

do just that. The primary sponsor is the

USDA Forest Service, with support from

the Center for International Forestry

Research; the University of Florida; and

Blue Ox Forestry, an international forestry

consulting practice based in Portland, OR. 

The software, Reduced-Impact Logging

Simulator (RILSIM), was “beta-tested” in

May 2002, with distribution planned for

late 2002. Available at no cost if

downloaded over the Internet and for a

modest fee on CD-ROM, it can operate on

computers with little memory and limited

disk capacity. It is easy to install and use.

Users simply complete a series of “data

forms” based on local site conditions,

wages, equipment costs, and other factors.

The analysis then shows the profitability of

using reduced-impact logging.

In many tropical forests, conventional

logging depletes timber stocks and inflicts

severe ecological damage, costs that future

generations must bear. Reduced-impact

logging can be part of the solution, but only

if private producers see its profitability. Now,

the USDA Forest Service and its partners

are harnessing the power of information

technology to show the potential payoffs.

Dennis Dykstra, formerly Director of Research for the Center

for International Forestry Research, is an international

forestry consultant for Blue Ox Forestry, Portland, OR.

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS: TREE CANOPY VIEWS ILLUSTRATE

THE IMPACTS OF CONVENTIONAL LOGGING (LEFT) 

AND REDUCED-IMPACT LOGGING (RIGHT)
4

orestry faces a dilemma: 

Consumer demand for forest

products is rising, yet so is

social demand for less destruction from

timber harvest. Many people see a solution

to the dilemma in reduced-impact logging.

From a purely technical standpoint,

reduced-impact logging is all about harvesting with fewer soil disturbances and

less incidental damage to remaining trees.

But reduced-impact logging involves much

more than merely learning new techniques

or practices. It calls for changes in

attitudes and behavior, and—perhaps most

importantly—a sincere commitment to sustainable forest management, translated

into actual changes on the ground. 

Changing behavior and generating commitment require a visionary, long-term,

step-by-step approach. The Asia-Pacific

Forestry Commission, one of six regional

forestry commissions in the United Nations

Food and Agriculture Organization, is taking that approach. Since the mid-1990s,

the commission has sought to bring

diverse stakeholders together in the

forestry sector to work toward improved

forest management. 

In 1999, the commission published its

Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in

Asia-Pacific. The code has helped guide

harvesting practices while providing a

model for national codes in several countries. It has won increasing political

support, including endorsement by the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Ministers for Agriculture and Forestry and

Senior Officials on Forestry.

The Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

also helps countries implement national

codes. It supported the development of a

regional training strategy and disseminates

IN VANUATU, MEMBERS OF

THE ASIA-PACIFIC FORESTRY

COMMISSION DISCUSS THE

PROGRESS OF PACIFIC ISLAND

COUNTRIES IN ADOPTING

REDUCED-IMPACT LOGGING

PRACTICES FROM A POLITICAL

AND TECHNICAL STANDPOINT.

THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION CAN

BOAST OF RICH NATIVE FORESTS—

WITH UNIQUE FOREST MANAGEMENT

CHALLENGES.

Asia-Pacific: A Visionary Approach to Sustainable Forestry

by Patrick B. Durst and Thomas Enters

F

GARY MAN

FANG ZHENDONG

information about reduced-impact logging,

including information on the contentious

economic and institutional implications of

reduced-impact logging. With support from

the USDA Forest Service, the commission

maintains an electronic list server called RILNET. The server provides members

worldwide with a forum to discuss and share

information on reduced-impact logging. 

In early 2001, the Asia-Pacific Forestry

Commission organized the International

Conference on the Application of ReducedImpact Logging, held in Kuching, Malaysia.

Cosponsors included the USDA Forest Service, International Tropical Timber

Organization, Center for International

Forestry Research, and other

organizations. The conference attracted

more than 250 participants from 35 countries. Proceedings are scheduled for

publication in September 2002. 

The conference made several important

recommendations for promoting and

implementing reduced-impact logging. The

enthusiasm and commitment of

participants justify cautious optimism that

behavior and attitudes are slowly changing. However, considerable challenges lie

ahead. Governments, industry, research

institutions, and international organizations must intensify their support for

reduced-impact logging. Without its widespread adoption and vigorous

implementation, the future of the region’s

valuable native forests remains uncertain.

Patrick Durst and Thomas Enters are, respectively, the senior

forestry officer and forestry sector analysis specialist for the

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand.
example, play a vital role in propagating

several types of fruit-bearing trees. If

elephants decline, so will these trees.

The bushmeat issue has opened a

debate on conventional logging practices

in central Africa. For the developing countries of the Congo basin, timber and game

reserves are vital resources. Present and

future generations will depend on their use

and conservation through harvest practices

that are sustainable. 

Through CARPE, the USDA Forest Service promotes programs to improve forest

management practices in the Congo, as do

many other organizations in the region. As

part of this improvement, Richard Toupin,

a logging engineer in the Forest Service’s

Pacific Northwest Region, participated in a

2-week assessment of several logging

companies operating in the Congo basin. 

Part of the solution lies in reducedimpact logging. Only recently introduced to

Africa, reduced-impact logging programs

plan for minimal, sensibly placed roads,

skid trails, and landings. These programs

also introduce sound felling and bucking

techniques. Felling practices and

techniques present the greatest opportunity for reducing logging impacts, as do

skidding practices. Sound planning in road

and skid trail layout can greatly minimize

access to forest areas.

Moreover, reduced-impact logging

decreases impacts from road and landing

construction and standardizes practices

across companies, making operations more

efficient. In the Congo, the planning process

for forest management should include

wildlife monitoring and hunting control,

reducing the threat to native wildlife.

5

ntil recently, the Congo’s

forests were relatively

unknown to science. While we

know that the Congo has the second

largest intact tropical rainforest in the

world and that many people depend on its

spectacular biodiversity for their survival,

there is so much we don’t know.

However, our understanding of this

complex ecosystem is changing, in part

through the Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), a

program supported by the USDA Forest

Service and funded by the U.S. Agency for

International Development. The Congo is

under siege, and CARPE is furthering our

understanding of how this situation affects

the natural resource base. Many lands in

the Congo have been deforested and converted to agricultural uses. Remaining

forests are threatened by conventional logging, particularly by logging roads and

poor logging camp placement.

More and more logging roads are

snaking into Africa’s tropical forests, bringing thousands of workers and a cash

economy to remote areas, partly through

wildlife poaching. Increased access to

remote areas has fueled the trade in

wildlife, also known as bushmeat. The

bushmeat trade depletes wildlife populations and threatens ecosystem health.

Today, commercial hunters deliver a million pounds of bushmeat per year from the

Congo basin alone. 

The ecological price is steep. Overharvest

not only could drive species into extinction,

but also disrupts complex interdependencies

among plants and animals, endangering

entire forest ecosystems. Elephants, for

FOREST SERVICE

ENGINEER RICK TOUPIN

ASSESSES SELECTIVE

FELLING PRACTICES IN

THE CONGO. 

Congo Basin: Making Forestry Sustainable

by Melissa Othman

U

MELISSA OTHMAN 

CONGOLESE LOGGERS ARE LEARNING ABOUT THE BENEFITS

OF REDUCED-IMPACT LOGGING—INCLUDING BETTER ROAD

PLANNING, WHICH REDUCES UNWANTED ACCESS TO THE

CONGO’S VAST TROPICAL RAINFOREST.

MELISSA OTHMAN

Reduced-impact logging has payoffs for

all players. Through its use, private companies can make profitable short- and

long-term forestry investments. Reducedimpact logging represents one more tool

for governments to protect the long-term

health and productivity of the land. Citizens can use forest resources while

leaving a strong forest heritage for their

children. Finally, conservation groups—and

government agencies such as the USDA

Forest Service—can help protect the

Congo’s native ecosystems and rich biodiversity far into the future.

Melissa Othman is the Africa Program coordinator, USDA

Forest Service, International Programs, Washington, DC.
6

RENEWING A COMMITMENT: 

FOREST SERVICE ASSOCIATE

CHIEF SALLY COLLINS AND HER

COUNTERPART, VICE ADMINISTRATOR LI YUCAI OF THE CHINESE

STATE FORESTRY ADMINISTRATION,

BUILD A PARTNERSHIP ON INVASIVE

SPECIES, FOREST POLICY, AND

NATURE-BASED TOURISM. 

Forestry Cooperation Between

the People’s Republic of China

and the United States

In some ways, China is much closer to the

United States than some people might

think. In terms of climate, physiography,

biology, and even natural resource policies,

China and the United States are strikingly

similar. Both countries have much to gain

from capitalizing on our commonalities.

Recognizing this, the USDA Forest Service and the Chinese State Forestry

Administration have signed an agreement

to cooperate on forestry. On June 12, 2002,

Associate Chief Sally Collins and her Chinese counterpart, Vice Administrator Li

Yucai, opened the first session of the United States–People’s Republic of China Joint

Working Group on Forestry Cooperation in

Beijing, China. 

In her opening remarks, Collins

observed that our countries face similar

environmental and policy challenges in

managing our forests. Both the USDA Forest Service and the Chinese State Forestry

Administration, she noted, are charged

with providing the values and services that

our respective peoples expect from their

forests. The best chance we have to meet

the challenge is to take an ecosystem

approach to forest management. Success

will require global cooperation, especially

between countries with similar biological

and physical features.

In the meeting, both sides agreed to

collaborate over the next 2 years on 15

activities in such areas as forest policy and

economic analysis, invasive species, fire

monitoring, forest inventory and monitoring, forest health and restoration, and

nature-based tourism.

After the meeting, Collins and her USDA

Forest Service delegation visited a forest in

China, giving them a firsthand view of the

progress China has made in forest management. The delegation also learned more

about the challenges China faces, in part

due to the diversity of its forests and people.

GARY MAN

ITTO Explores Reduced-Impact

Logging

As in other forestry organizations,

reduced-impact logging has recently

become a prominent topic in the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).

In fact, ITTO helped support the International Conference on the Application of

Reduced-Impact Logging to Advance Sustainable Forest Management, held in

Kuching, Malaysia, in February 2001. The

conference produced recommendations for

promoting reduced-impact logging.

In Central Africa, ITTO cosponsored a 1-

day workshop in May 2001 in collaboration

with the World Conservation Union and the

USDA Forest Service. The workshop

focused on developing a logging code of

practice for the region, identifying regional

training needs, and assessing the costs and

benefits of reduced-impact logging. 

In Brazil, ITTO cofunded a program by

the Fundaçao Floresta Tropical, in coordination with the Brazilian Federal Institute

of the Environment and Natural Resources,

to “train the trainers” in reduced-impact

logging.

In Indonesia, ITTO supports the Bulungan Research Forest project, a collaborative

effort between a state-owned logging company and the Center for International

Forestry Research to develop logging

guidelines, train staff in reduced-impact

logging, and compare the costs and 

benefits of reduced-impact logging and

conventional logging. ITTO is also establishing a training center for reduced-impact

logging in each of the three tropical regions

(Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas).

Workshop on Illegal Logging

On May 29–31, 2002, a workshop explored

field techniques for combating illegal logging and improving transparency in the

forestry sector worldwide. Cohosts included

the World Resources Institute; USDA Forest

Service, International Programs; and U.S.

Agency for International Development.
7

Illegal logging has adverse environmental and social impacts, undermining the

ability of legitimate timber producers to

compete. The workshop brought together

representatives from government and nongovernmental organizations that are

working to detect, expose, and shut down

illegal logging. 

Participants shared experiences, learned

new techniques, and discussed ways to

focus more international attention on illegal logging. The workshop laid the

foundation for future cooperation and

mutual support across borders and forest

types around the globe.

United States Prepares for XXII

World Forestry Congress

Every 6 years, thousands gather at

forestry’s most important global event—the

World Forestry Congress. On September

21–28, 2003, Canada will host the XXII

World Forestry Congress in Quebec City,

giving forestry practitioners and

policymakers the opportunity to exchange

information on forest resources and discuss forest management issues. 

The theme for next year’s Congress is

“Forests, Source of Life”—a look at how

forests benefit the Earth and its inhabitants

worldwide. Program areas include “Forests

for People,” “Forests for the Planet,” and

“People and Forests in Harmony.” 

An Internet discussion forum will highlight the upcoming congress. Organizers

and individual countries are putting

together a program of plenary, research,

and technical presentations; exhibits; technical tours; and various side events.

Congress organizers can be reached at

sec-gen@wfc2003.org (e-mail); additional

details can be found on the World Wide

Web at http://www.wfc2003.org.

The USDA Forest Service, International

Programs, is planning U.S. participation in

the Congress by working with stakeholder

groups to coordinate activities, exhibits,

speakers, and study tours. Denise Ingram,

the International Programs point of contact, can be reached at cdingram@fs.fed.us

(e-mail), 202-273-4733 (voice), or 202-273-

4750 (fax).

Visit these Web sites for more information related to articles in this issue:

http://www.tropicalforestfoundation.org - Tropical Forest Foundation

http://www.ots.duke.edu - Organization for Tropical Studies

http://www.imazon.org.br - Institute for Man and the Environment in the Amazon 

http://www.apfcweb.org - Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

http://carpe.umd.edu - Central African Regional Program for the Environment 

http://www.aseansec.org - Association of Southeast Asian Nations 

http://www.itto.or.jp - International Tropical Timber Organization 

http://www.cifor.cgiar.org - Center for International Forestry Research 

http://www.blueoxinc.com - Blue Ox Forestry

http://www.ibama.gov.br - Brazilian Federal Institute of the Environment and Natural Resources 

http://www.iucn.org - IUCN-World Conservation Union

http://www.wri.org - World Resources Institute

http://www.wfc2003.org - World Forestry Congress
8

19th International Seminar on Forest

and Natural Resources Administration

and Management 

Dates: August 24-September 11, 2003

Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, 

and the District of Columbia, USA

Cost: US $5,600.00

Jointly offered by Colorado State University

and USDA Forest Service International Programs, this seminar is designed for senior

natural resource management professionals. The 19-day program focuses on

strategies and methods to develop, manage, and conserve natural resources for the

sustained delivery of goods and services to

meet the full range of human needs. For

more information and application details,

visit http://www.fs.fed.us/global/is/

isfam/welcome.htm or write to Ann

Keith, College of Natural Resources, 

Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 

CO 80523-1401, USA, or e-mail at

ifs@cnr.colostate.edu.

The Global Leaflet presents highlights of policy, research, technical

cooperation, development, and conservation activities in which the

USDA Forest Service is involved worldwide. Its purpose is to demonstrate the breadth and importance of international collaboration on

natural resource management issues and to share information within 

the USDA Forest Service and with our partners in the United States

and around the world.

International Programs is dedicated to applying the wealth of

skills within the USDA Forest Service to foster sustainable forest

management globally. We encourage linking the agency’s researchers,

foresters, wildlife biologists, hydrologists, policymakers, and disaster

specialists with partners overseas to work on assignments in the

areas of technical cooperation, policy assistance, and disaster coordination. Our focus is on key natural resource problems and issues in

countries with significant forest resources and important forest-related

trade with the United States. International cooperation results in

improved sustainable natural resource practices in partner countries,

develops the skills of USDA Forest Service personnel, and brings

back knowledge and innovated technologies to the United States.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination 

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all

programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for

communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600

(voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office 

of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman

Chief of the Forest Service Dale N. Bosworth

International Programs

USDA Forest Service

1099 14th St. NW, Suite 5500W

Washington, DC 20005-3402

Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/global

Director Val Mezainis 

Phone (202) 205-1650

Art Director George Avalos

Editor Hutch Brown

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOREST SERVICE

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

2003 International Seminar on 

Protected Area Management 

Dates: August 7-23, 2003

Missoula, Montana, USA 

Cost: US $4,750.00

This seminar — jointly offered by Colorado

State University, University of Montana,

University of Idaho, and USDA Forest Service International Programs — is geared

for senior-level managers and policymakers working in protected areas. The

program examines and stimulates debate

on management strategies, policies, and

innovative institutional arrangements to

address the conservation and use of the

world’s most special places. For more

information and application details, visit

http://www.fs.fed.us/

global/is/ispam/welcome.htm 

or write to Dr. Wayne Freimund, School of

Forestry, The University of Montana, 

Missoula, MT 59812, USA, or e-mail at

wayne@forestry.umt.edu. 

2003 International Seminar on 

Watershed Management 

Dates: June 15-28, 2003 

Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA

Cost: US $4,000.00

Jointly offered by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the USDA Forest

Service International Programs, this seminar is geared towards senior-level natural

resource professionals. The course examines the needs and challenges facing

watershed managers and focuses on

strategies and methods to manage and

conserve watershed resources sustainably.

For more information and application

details, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/

global/is/watershed/welcome.htm or

write to Dr. Earl Spangenberg, University of

Wisconsin-Stevens Point, College of Natural

Resources, Stevens Point, WI 54481-3897

USA or e-mail at espangen@uwsp.edu.