Congo Basin Information Series: Taking Action to Manage and Conserve Forest Resources in the Congo Basin CENTRAL AFRICAN REGIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT Table of Contents   TABLE OF CONTENTS Message to the Readers For five years and through active partnerships, the Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) has committed itself to better understanding the challenges and solutions in sustainably managing the rich forests of the Congo Basin. The following 25 issue briefs individually and collectively represent the summary of results and lessons that were learned. They were designed for all of you — decision-makers, Civil Service officials, NGO leaders, project managers, private sector partners, teachers, researchers, practitioners, donors — who care about the conservation of Central African forests. They were also designed to allow convenience in their use and reproduction, and flexibility in their organization to suit various audiences. Finally, this issue of the “Congo Basin Information Series” is the first in a series of collaborative efforts to take immediate action in conserving the Congo Basin forests. We hope you will enjoy reading this information! List of Issue Briefs Issue  Brief # Title 1 Central African Regional Program for the Environment: Summary of Results and Lessons Learned from the First Phase 2 What is CARPE?: The Central African Regional Program for the Environment 3 Rich Forests, Poor Countries: Adapting Forest Conservation to Economic Realities 4 Filling Conservation Gaps in Central Africa: Conserving What, Where, How, and at What Cost? 5 Timber Tsunami: Tracking Logging in the Congo Basin 6 Deforestation in Central Africa: Significance and Scale of the Deforestation 7 Seeing the Future Now: Simulating Forest Changes in the Congo Basin 8 If Forest Disappeared: What Would We Lose and What Might We Gain? 9 Sustainable Management of the Forest Estate: What do We Mean and How Do We Get There? 10 Non-Timber Forest Products: Economics and Conservation Potential 11 Central Africa and Forest Governance: Counter-Balancing the Powers “ of Public and Private Sectors 12 Management Watchdogs: A Key to Sustainable Forest Management 13 Monitoring Forest Cover in Central Africa: Why, What, How and When to Monitor 14 Establishing Ecological Monitoring Programs: What, Where and How to Monitor 15 Policy Reform: A Necessary but Insufficient Condition for Better Forest Management 16 The World Bank, Conditionalities, and Forest Sector Reform: The Cameroon Experience 17 Community Management of Forest Resources: Moving from “Keep Out!” to “Let’s Collaborate!” 18 Sustainable Timber: Challenges and Potential Solutions 19 Conservation and Private Sector Partnerships: A New Tool for Natural Resources Management 20 Mobilizing Communities to Conserve Forest Resources: Cameroon Case Study 21 Sustainable Financing of Protected Areas: The Role of User Fees 22 Conservation in a Region of Civil Instability: The Need to Be Present and Assist 23 Bushmeat Crisis: Causes, Consequences and Controls 24 Forest-Based Carbon Offset in Central Africa: Issues and Opportunities 25 CARPE Small Grants Program: Reference List   Publication Credits Series Editors: Laurent Somé David Wilkie Judy Oglethorpe Managing Editor: Kay Killingstad Project Coordinator: Rose-Marie Gay Design: Christine M. Henke HTML Layout: Betsy Berlin Miss Pixel Graphics Inside Cover Photo: Robert Solem Binder Cover Photo: David Wilkie CARPE Project Manager: James Graham BSP Director of Communications: Sheila Donoghue Director of BSP’s Africa & Madagascar Program and BSP Executive Director: Judy Oglethorpe   Biodiversity Support Program 1250 24th St., NW Washington, DC 20037 Tel: 202-861-8347 Fax: 202-861-8324 E-Mail: BSP@wwfus.org Web: www.BSPonline.org