Step 4: Conduct Quick Survey of Forest Area and Type

Action: Following receipt of the second letter from the landowners, we send out a team of foresters to survey their forest area and plot the boundaries on a map.

If based on the results of Step 2 we know that the area is likely to be less than 1000 hectares (ha) or that the forest is not of good quality, then we first do a quick survey to get a rough estimate as to the area and the quality of the forest. When the site is very small (less than 300 ha) or doesn't have a lot of good quality wood, then we advise them of the other types of enterprises that might make more sense than a forestry enterprise. When the site is between 300 and 1000 ha and has good quality wood, we tell them we will help them set up a small forestry enterprise.

If the area is over 1000 hectares, then we proceed directly to Step 5.

Rationale: Realistically, an enterprise needs at least 1000 ha of forest in order to be able to support a walkabout sawmill on a sustainable basis. If the clan has less forest, they may be able to work it using a chainsaw mill (these "Alaskan" mills are attachments that fit onto a chainsaw - they require more labor and have lower output than a walkabout sawmill, but are also considerably cheaper). This screening process enables us to determine how much land the Group has and what kinds of timber they have. Local people don't always know the size of their land in standard units and measurement and our quick survey enables us to determine the land boundaries.

Example: Some Groups that we have been contacted by have over 20,000 ha of land. Others, however, have turned out to have only 250 ha of already logged forest. In the latter cases, the enterprise would not have been financially or ecologically viable.

WHY BIODIVERSITY   FIELD STORIES   PARTICIPATE   RESULTS   MARKETSPACE ABOUT THE NETWORK   WHAT'S NEW   LEARNING MATERIALS   SEARCH   LINKS   SITE MAP   HOME