Eco-Timber from the Forests of New Britain, Papua New Guinea

by Pacific Heritage Foundation

Partners:

Pacific Heritage Foundation (PHF) East New Britain Sosel Eksen Committee Individual and Community Rights Advocacy Forum (ICRAF) Forest Research Institute

Success Stories

Logging companies often tempt communities to sell their forests by offering to 'donate' vehicles. But in Illi, the profits of the eco-forestry sawmill enterprise financed the community's initial purchase of a Mitsubishi 4x4, 3.5 ton truck as well as the ongoing payments. The truck is a source of great pride among the local people. It is also a catalyst to other businesses and income generation. Traditional landowners from Illi, as well as people from remoter villages down the coast hire the truck to transport their copra to the urban market three hours away by rough road. Due to this new access to markets, some family groups have built new copra and cocoa dryers -- using project timber. The dryers add value to the cash crops before selling them to the export market. Copra is the main income for families to pay for school fees, housing material, kerosene and food. Several new houses have been completed as people use money earned from copra, and food sales to buy local timber and building supplies.

The women also use the vehicle to sell extra garden produce. Each Friday at dawn, there is great excitement as women pile into the truck with surplus betelnut, root crops and bananas for sale at market one hour's drive away. Women say, "we are learning how to market" often returning with K15 to K20 in hand -- enough money to pay the annual school fees for one child in elementary school.

Many people in East New Britain are watching the developments in Illi with keen interest.

Challenges

The first community-based eco-forestry projects supported by PHF were at Riet and Arabam. The abundant easy money from land sales and the ë donation' of trucks by logging companies have been difficult for people in these communities to turn down, but they have succeeded so far. Arabam had steady production from their portable sawmill until the end of 1996. Divisions within the multi-clan and multi-language community of Arabam have meant constraints to access to forest resources and heated discussions about who should receive benefits. The directors and project manager are attempting to settle the disputes but they have come to a stand-still in timber production. They express their worries about the long term consequences of logging on their land, yet would appreciate a road network into the forest reserves. This clan group still opposes the pressures of logging companies, but they are struggling to resolve the land disputes and to decide whether to resume the sawmill operation.

In initiating new eco-forestry projects, more discussion is needed about the socio-political groups in the community. PHF has learned that the clan and sub-clan leaders are the key decision makers and both men and women's traditional land rights are respected. However, it is difficult to predict the conflicts and constraints that will arise until people are actually managing the enterprise.

Over the last five years people have become more aware of the value of their forest resources, the massive destruction caused by large scale logging on their land and their capabilities to negotiate and manage alternative eco-forestry businesses.

But everything takes time. There was a lengthy period of village meetings, discussions in the office, then more meetings, before legal action was taken by the majority of the Kairak clan to serve a court injunction to stop the Senbaum Timber Rights Permit by Bismarck Logging.

We have learned a great deal over the last two years about assisting communities who are interested in conserving their traditional heritage, but we will need more time with our partners to determine the key factors which enhance conservation practices in Melanesia.

Case Story Box: A Local Disaster

The normal method of attack by the loggers is to isolate a small group of so-called "leaders" and deal directly with them. This happened at Maranagi earlier in the year when an approach was make to build a road to Maranagi village. Under the Forestry Act, the road-builder is permitted to harvest the trees on the road line, and for 30 meters on each side. The leader agreed with the proposed route and accepted an unknown amount of cash as a reward.

From then on it was all downhill. The road clearing extended as much as 140 meters from the center line. There was no attempt to route the road over suitable terrain. No drains or culverts were constructed, and no gravel or stone was layered over the clay base. When the dry season finished and the rains came, the road became useless overnight. Soon, the degree of damage made repair impossible.

The loggers were happy -- they got something like four times their legal harvest. The leaders were happy -- they received some money. But the remainder of the village was sadly disillusioned although we are not certain how much. The loggers say the original route was a mistake and they now have a better one to construct a proper road.

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