Chainsaw operators’ perception of the availability of timber resources and their willingness to pay for timber harvesting rights

sbritwum — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:28:35 +0000

Description

In recent times, chainsaw milling has generated protracted public debate, and has been pervasive and contested in the forest governance discourse in Ghana. Even though regularization of the activities of operators has been proposed as a viable option for dealing with the issue, operators’ willingness to pay for timber harvesting rights has not yet been assessed. This paper presents results from a study that attempted to assess chainsaw operator’s perception of the availability of timber resources and their willingness to pay to harvest timber. Results of the study indicate that chainsaw operators are willing to pay the FC for timber harvesting rights if their activities are captured under a regularized regime, although their preferences varied: 50 percent of the 50 operators interviewed preferred to pay tax on each timber tree harvested (product tax); 34 percent wanted to pay monthly or annual permit fees; and 14 percent wanted to pay tax on income accrued from chainsaw lumbering (income tax). In terms of the way in which chainsaw activities should be regularized, 74 percent of operators want concessions for registered groups of operators, 18 percent want individual permits to harvest individual trees (permit per tree harvested), while 6 percent want small concessions for individual operators. The paper concludes that rather than continuing with a ban which has not been effective in addressing indiscriminate logging, chainsaw operations need to be regularized to ensure that chainsaw operators pay appropriate taxes to the state for the trees they fell.

sbritwum Mon, 05/30/2011 - 12:28

Responsible party

Forestry Research Institute of Ghana

Funding bodies

European Union

Attachment	Size
chainsaw_operators.pdf	98.6 KB

Forests and Forest-based Products for a Greener Future / Forests and Climate Change timber resources / chainsaw milling / timber harvest rights / willingness to pay / taxes

Management of timber resources in areas outside forest reserves in Ghana: the role of stakeholders

sbritwum — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:13:48 +0000

Management of timber resources in areas outside forest reserves in Ghana: the role of stakeholders

Description

Forests outside the permanent forest estate (forest reserves) play significant role in the economic, social and environmental needs of Ghana. Over the last twenty years, timber outside forest reserves has consistently represented between one third and two thirds of the total annual recorded timber harvest in Ghana. In recent years timber harvest from off?reserve areas has declined to about 30%. One major cause of the declining is the lack of economic incentive for farmers who nurture, maintain and preserve timber resources. The lack of economic incentive is as a result of inequitable policy governing tree tenure and benefit sharing relating to naturally occurring timber resources in off?reserve areas. To safeguard the future and sustainability of the resources there is the need for policy revision that recognizes the input of stakeholders involved in off?reserve timber resources management. This study sought to determine farmers’ timber tree management practices and the role, rights and responsibilities of stakeholders involved in off? reserve timber resources management. The study was conducted in the Asunafo North District of Ghana where a score of key stakeholders were interviewed and a total of eighty (80) farmers were selected using a stratified random sampling and subsequently interviewed. The study revealed weeding, thinning, pruning/pollarding, preservation of specific tree species (singling) and fire protection/prevention as specific management activities performed by farmers. Agricultural land use system was found to influence timber tree maintenance as well as species diversity, age composition, and density. Cocoa farming system hosted the highest number of timber species followed by fallow, oil palm farming system and the least was found to be food crop (annuals) farming system. The main factor influencing farmers’ management activities is perceived beneficial attributes of tree to agricultural crops. Farmers and Forestry Commission performed direct roles while District Assembly and Traditional Authorities preformed indirect roles in timber resources management in areas outside reserves. The results further revealed that Farmers, Forestry Commission and District Assembly have been able to assert their roles and responsibilities while Traditional Authorities are yet to do so. Stakeholders’ roles, rights and responsibilities were favoured as a basis for equitable benefit sharing scheme. It is concluded that there is a considerable potential for off?reserve timber resources management if tree tenure and benefit sharing arrangement can be weighed more in favour of farmers/land owners coupled with recognition of roles, rights and responsibilities of stakeholders. Stakeholders need to have tools to perform their roles and responsibilities, and that coordination and collaboration between stakeholders and transparency through information dissemination is very much important for sustainable timber resources management in areas outside reserves.

sbritwum Tue, 03/01/2011 - 11:13

Responsible party

Forestry Research Institute of Ghana

Funding bodies

Tropenbos International & Forestry Research Institute of Ghana

Attachment	Size
Management of Timber Resources In Areas Outside Forest Reserves in Ghana_The Role of Stakeholders.pdf	3.32 MB

Forests and Forest-based Products for a Greener Future / Forests and Climate Change forest reserves / ghana / timber resources / benefit sharing / tree tenure