arch-programme.html

13) FOREST chiefs are stepping up a local search for a rare and elusive tree climbing mammal, written off as extinct in England only a few years ago. Special cameras triggered by infra-red beams are being installed in a remote North York Moors wood in a bid to capture an image of a pine marten – the second rarest carnivore in Britain after the wild cat. Although the pine marten is believed to have been sighted in woods in the Osmotherley area, the exact location cannot be disclosed. Four years ago forest chiefs, aided by local conservationists, began a project to track down the creature, which can grow up to two feet long, after an experienced naturalist made a reliable sighting in the area. Sticky tubes baited with jam sandwiches were deployed in a bid to collect hair samples from the phantom sweet-toothed animal. More recently, boxes designed by the Vincent Wildlife Trust have been erected to offer martens a ready-made home to raise their young. Brian Walker, Forestry Commission wildlife officer for the North York Moors, said: “The cameras are being trained on feeding stations near the boxes and if anything breaks the invisible beam any time of the day or night, the shutter will be activated. “My gut feeling is that we do have pine martens, but they are few in number, nocturnal, and often in the trees, making them extremely tough to spot.” A number of scat (faeces) samples found on the boxes have undergone DNA analysis to determine their origin – martens are known to mark their territories in this way. One batch proved to be from a stoat, but another is being subjected to further laboratory tests. Pine martens look similar to a ferret or stoat, but are significantly larger, and sport a bushy tail. http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2008/08/20/operation-to-snap-elusive-pine-mart
in-84229-21561713/

14) Turkey oaks were introduced to Britain in the 18th century and have spread across the country, but unlike many invasive species they are thought to be benefiting the native wildlife. Researchers now believe that the species of oak, Quercus cerris, fits perfectly into the native ecosystem because it was a native tree until driven out by an ice age 120,000 years ago. The tree has been identified as a boon to garden birds because gallwasps lay eggs on its buds early in the spring, and these provide an invaluable feast for species such as blue tits and great tits as they raise their young. Galls form around the eggs because chemicals on them trick the trees into protecting them, but, being about the size of sesame seeds, they are easily picked off by the birds. Tits and other types of bird have been driven to lay eggs earlier in spring because of warmer conditions brought on by climate change. Without the gallwasp eggs, few of the young would survive, because the caterpillars that the birds would usually depend on have yet to emerge. Dr Stone said after carrying out research with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. “It’s quite probable that blue tits and great tits are quite used to feeding on it because they have been around for a long time. They were certainly here 150,000 years ago. “As the Turkey oak reasserts itself in its ancient home, it is helping to alleviate some of the effects of the very modern problem of climate change.” The trees reached Britain in 1735, when it was hoped that they would provide the Royal Navy with building materials, but the timber proved inferior to English oak. They became popular in gardens, however. “Everyone who was trendy was having one put in. It quickly became naturalised,” Dr Stone said. Some people were concerned that the spread of Turkey oaks would disrupt native oak woodland, but he was convinced the two species could complement each other. Many types of gallwasp depend on the two oaks and at least 11 species have spread naturally to Britain. Animals and plants could take a very long time to return to their native areas after being driven southwards by ice ages, Dr Stone said. So a proportion of the species reaching Britain to-day were doing so as part of a natural cycle, not man-made global warming. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4553496.ece

Ireland:

15) In his article on reviving Ireland’s economic fortunes, Philip Lynch (Opinion, August 13th) includes forestry as among those activities which “no longer fit with State ownership”. In reality, due to its long-term nature, there is no enterprise more appropriate for State involvement, a fact recognised throughout the developed world. It was direct State investment from 1904 to 1988 which created the present Irish State forests and this continues, at one remove, through State ownership of Coillte. Proper management and protection of forests, whether public or private, can be assured only through direct State control. Mr Lynch suggests that “Coillte should be sold back to the farmers of Ireland as part of a new drive to restart our ailing agriculture and food sectors”. Which farmers? How would it be paid for? What would they do with it? For many decades the afforestation of good land was prohibited by our Government. It is not the quality of our land that leaves food production in Ireland less competitive in global markets; it is our climate. And there is little we can do about that in the short term. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2008/0818/1218868019373.html

Bulgaria:

16) The State Forestry Agency is helping Kovachki build the “Iskrovete-Govedartsi-Maliovitsa” ski resort, claims the environmentalist coalition “Let Nature Survive in Bulgaria”. In 2007 and 2008 the SFA conceded 300 ha of forests for the construction of ski runs, lifts and hotels in the area of Govedartsi village, bordering on Rila National Park, a protected area. The resort project is being developed by the company Nadar 2006, represented by Kovachki’s company LM Impex and Samokov municipality. The altitude of the resort is 1500 m on average. Swiss banks do not finance resorts at such low altitudes because of the climatic changes, ecologists inform. The government conceded this land in violation of article 87 of the EU Agreement because no tender took place. Moreover, the competitive EU market mechanisms weren’t taken into consideration. The SFA violated the European directive on strategic ecologic evaluation because no environmental impact assessment was made. It is unclear whether the project is compatible with the directives of Natura 2000. The LNSB coalition has notified the EC of these violations. http://news.guide-bulgaria.com/SW/Sofia/Samokov/Rila/News.aspx?3793=Government_rants_businessm
an_Hristo_Kovachki_forests_in_Rila_to_build_ski_resort

Portugal:

17) CASTINCAL — Manuel Coimbra watches in silence, his hands on his hips, as a lumberjack saws down one of his pine trees to stop a killer bug which experts say could wipe out large belts of European woodland. The dense forests that blanket the hillsides of this rural area of central Portugal are the latest international conquest for the pest which has caused ecological catastrophes in East Asia. Thousands of trees here are already dead, according to locals. “It makes me sad,” Coimbra says, leaning against a jeep on a shady dirt road as experts bag shavings from the felled tree for testing at a local lab. “Future generations probably won’t know what we’re talking about when we tell them about pine forests. We’d better start taking some photographs to show them,” said Coimbra, a soft-spoken middle-aged man who owns about 20 acres of local pine forest. His land is on the front line of Europe’s attempt to check the spread of pine wilt disease which is running out of control in this southwestern corner of the continent and is a menace for pine forests across the borderless European Union, from Scandinavia to Italy and Greece. Two species of pine are susceptible — maritime pine, which accounts for almost one-quarter of Portugal’s forest, and Scots pine, the most widespread pine species in Europe which is frequently used for Christmas trees. The concerns are not just environmental. Europe is the world’s largest importer and exporter of forest products which account for more than 3 percent of global commodity trade with an annual turnover exceeding $200 billion, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. The European Commission last month imposed tight restrictions on the export of Portuguese pine, which must be disinfected and given a clean bill of health before leaving the country. The bug, called a nematode, is a worm invisible to the naked eye which swarms through a pine tree’s innards and kills it within weeks by choking off the flow of sap. It gets around by hitching a lift in the respiratory system of a flying beetle which looks a bit like a cockroach. The beetle is believed to have arrived in Portugal in a ship’s cargo from East Asia, where in the 1970s the nematode almost wiped out Japan’s vast pine forests. The following decade major outbreaks were recorded in the pine forests of China, Taiwan and Korea. http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080817/NEWS/808170370/-1/rss01

18) The world’s leading cork maker has launched a campaign against the increasing use of screw caps and plastic stoppers in wine bottles, which it says is a threat to Portugal’s forests of cork oaks. Portugal’s Amorim Corticeira argues that using only cork stoppers would ensure the survival of the forests and sustain their unique ecosystems, home to several endangered animal species such as the Iberian lynx. Portugal is the world’s largest cork producer. Amorim does not grow the trees itself but buys cork from producers. “The cork industry in general is under attack, one could say, from alternative wine bottle closures,” Carlos de Jesus, Amorim marketing director, told Reuters. “If cork growers lose the cash interest, they will plant something else, jeopardizing the sustainability chain.” Cork oaks are not cut down but their bark is harvested every nine years in a tree’s lifespan of more than 150 years. The campaign (www.savemiguel.com> followed a study by the WWF in June urging Portugal to expand its cork forests to prevent growing desertification caused by global warming. De Jesus said the proportion of cork stoppers in wine bottles had fallen to 70 percent from 90 percent in 12 years. http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSLC44285220080819

Spain:

19) As the path wends its way into Sarria it passes through thick tangled forest, massive trees line the path and the light is dim, having to pass through many layers of broad leaves. The air is cool (although admittedly this could be because I arrived very late, well into evening, but I like to think it was simply the forest) and the outside world seems far distant, despite being only a few hundred yards away. These trees are true natives, making up one of the remaining stands of the forests that once stretched without break across the Iberian peninsula. Whilst much of Spain is now completely cleared of trees, Galicia has a fair amount of forest, but these are made up of mainly eucalyptus and pine, with little space for the slow growing indigenous species. As far as I know there are plans to try and change the balance somewhat and plant more of the native trees here in the future. I hope so, I’m sure that as I walked through that ancient forest I heard birdsong I hadn’t heard anywhere else in these lands. http://walkacrossspain.blogspot.com/2008/08/ancient-forests.html

Ghana:

20) Delegations from the world over will meet on 21-27th August in Accra, Ghana for the next round of UN climate talks, with a view to chalk out ways and means to combat global warming. The talks will lay emphasis on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries or REDD. This might seem like a step in the right direction, but green groups, by voicing their opposition against REDD have highlighted the hazards of including forests in the carbon market. Campaigners have warned that unless indigenous groups are part of the climate negotiations, efforts to slow down deforestation could lead to a “land grab”. Nikki Reisch of Rainforest Foundation UK asserts that “indigenous people that have lived in and depended on the forests are best placed to protect them”. Friends of the Earth International criticized the UN for concentrating on financial concerns when “land rights must be centre stage”. Though cognizant of the fact that deforestation is responsible for almost 20% of the global emissions, campaigners believe that preserving forests through carbon trading will take away focus from the real culprit -our ever growing “needs” and also give the developed nations an excuse to continue emitting nasty amounts of greenhouse gases. http://www.carbonoffsetsdaily.com/carbonmarketnews/environmental-groups-against-including-fore
sts-in-carbon-markets-1073.htm

Uganda:

21) The look on Twinomuhangi’s face left no doubt about his determination to nurture forests and fight encroachment until his last breath. The youthful forester’s undisputed resolve has earned him not only respect from his superiors, but also the hearts of the local people. “We were put as stewards and the work we are doing is not ours,” he says. “It is important to protect the forest so that the children who are not yet born can benefit from them.” He was in a mournful mood last week as he took NFA’s trustees around forests that had more tree stumps than trees, a testimony to the many years of wanton destruction. “This,” Twinomuhangi says, “had been left by mindless encroachers and illegal loggers.” The bare patches staring at the sky have now become a recipe for the erosive rains that drag away soil and deposit it in the nearby Lake Victoria. “It is difficult to imagine that the people who have cut down this forest like this expect to get rain,” says Twinomuhangi. Twinomuhangi says this set-back has come as a result of shortage of manpower. “Where five patrol officers are needed to watch over illegal activities, you find only one.” He was speaking to Baguma Isoke, the chairperson of NFA and other trustees that were on a mission to find out the challenges facing the conservation body. Their three-day tour started in Mukono and later covered parts of Mpigi, Wakiso, Masaka, Rakai, Sembabule and Lyantonde districts. In agreement with Twinomuhangi was Jane Niwaninda, the sector manager in Rakai, who has also been engaged in running battles since the creation of NFA four years ago. “We lack manpower, but the community in some areas is on our side,” she says. “We patrol the forest together and plant trees to help the forest recover.” http://allafrica.com/stories/200808190257.html

Malawi:

22) Government, through the Ministry of Industry and Trade, has imposed a ban on export of hardwood and its products with immediate effect. The development follows rampant deforestation that has threatened the future of natural trees mostly used in the carving of curios. But the move has not gone down well with curio traders who fear the ban would negatively affect their business, which is mostly export oriented. However, in an interview on Monday, Principal Secretary of Industry and Trade Nebert Nyirenda, said the decision was made to preserve forests and avoid further environmental degradation. “The fact of the matter is that hardwood trees have been there for along time some of them over hundreds of years and to destroy something like this for money is illogical so the ban still stands,” said Nyirenda. But a curio vendor in Blantyre who identified himself as Adak Yusuf said government is not being considerate by banning the exports since it would slash their income earning base. “You see most of our customers are foreign tourists and by coming up with this ban government is cutting us out from that market. The reality of the matter is that it is very rare for our citizens to buy curios from us and our business will suffer,” said Yusuf. But Nyirenda said it was high time people dealing in trade that hurt the environment diversify to other sectors like agriculture that are equally profitable. “There are several ways that curio traders could do since the ban is affecting hardwood they could be seasoning soft wood so that the quality matches hardwood. On the other hand they must explore farming cash crops because currently crops like beans, maize and rice are attracting huge returns locally and internationally,” said Nyirenda. He added that government would prosecute those merchants found exporting the banned product. http://www.dailytimes.bppmw.com/article.asp?ArticleID=10605

Congo:

23) Reuters reported last week that a Congolese-government funded study recommends that ¾ of logging contracts should be ended immediately for not meeting required standards. The study, which looked at 156 logging deals, was conducted in order to recoup millions of dollars in tax money and to put an end to a “business ripe with corruption.” In 2002, the Congo put a 5-year halt on any new logging contracts but that has been largely ignored as new contracts are still being approved. Only 29 of the 156 contracts currently meet logging standards, and the commission’s preliminary findings recommend that 16 current contracts be terminated. Portugese owned Sodefor, German-owned Siforco and Safbois all have multiple contracts on the recommended list for termination, in total accounting for “66% of all timber exported from Congo.” Congo has the second largest tropical forest in the world, accounting for a quarter of the world’s tropical forests, and they are currently being chopped down at a rate of 800,000 hectares a year. The study was backed by the World Bank and findings from the report will be published mid-September. Their recommendations are non-binding and any actions to be taken will be decided once the final report is published. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/congolese-logging-not-protecting-forests.php

Rwanda:

24) The Secretary General of the Rwanda Red Cross Society (RRCS), Appolinaire Karamaga, yesterday revealed that they intend to plant over 600,000 trees by the end of 2008. Karamaga was addressing Red Cross field and headquarter workers, and the organization’s partners in a meeting on climate change at the Red Cross Headquarters in Kacyiru, Gasabo District. According to Karamaga, all local Red Cross branches at district level have prepared nursery beds, with an average of 20, 000 plants. Karamaga pointed out that one of the recommended measures to preserve the world’s climate is tree planting. He added that human activities cause climate change, citing examples of deforestation and over grazing. “With our network of volunteers and the great commitment of the Red Cross movement to cope with this crisis, we think we can do more. But, we consider that adaptation is critical in responding to the impacts of climate change and offers opportunities to support development,” Karamaga said. He continued to say that a big part of the country in the past years was hit by a long drought which mostly affected poor communities who depend solely on agriculture. Karamaga added that there is need to explore all areas and opportunities to enhance actions to promote food security, good health and prevent other disasters like floods and landslides.The Director of Environmental Education and the Focal Point of the United Nation Convention on Climate Change in Rwanda, Sebastian Dusabeyezu, said that Global warming with its associated challenges is becoming more apparent with the threat of reducing the potential of natural resources to support livelihoods and development in general. He added that adaptation to climate change in Rwanda is vital and has been highlighted by its initial communication report, National Adaptation Programmes of Action – NAPA and Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). He recommended tree planting and exploiting solar, energy efficient cooking stoves, peat and hydropower, climate change awareness in schools, government & local institutions. http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13627&article=8816

Nigeria:

25) A hydro-geologist and Acting Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Professor Boniface Egboka, has said if the perennial devastation of the Anambra environment by flood is not properly checked, the state may be obliterated from the map of Nigeria in the next 20 years. Egboka said the signs are already manifest, adding that ecological problems in the state are both manmade and natural. He said human activities such as land excavation, deforestation, and urbanisation over the years had destroyed the environment, while natural factors like poor soil geology, which makes it porous and heavy, had rendered an otherwise rainforest zone of the South-East into a Guinea Savannah, with far greater effects on Anambra, whose land area of over 70per cent had been devastated by flood and gullies. He also said high population density of the entire South-east, loss of human activities and effects of the civil war in the zone which witnessed heavy bombardment, destabilised the environment and caused a lot of problem. Egboka said agricultural areas at Agulu in Anaocha Council area, Oneh and Ogboji and Orumba South, as well as the Omambala communities in Anambra east and west council areas are destroyed with most of the land surface wasted away, while increasing indices of diseases, poverty, hunger and depression linger. He said there was need for both the Federal Government and international agencies to intervene and save the state and the entire South-east from being washed away, adding that government should hearken to the plea by South-east governors who visited him recently, and give attention to the erosion problem in the zone. http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=120185

Central Africa:

26) This forest is for WWF one of the most important places on earth. It is at the cutting edge of conservation for the organisation. Here we are trying to conserve forest on a very large scale, working at the highest levels with heads of states and with foreign governments and at the same time working with local communities to try and find solutions which can sustain conservation in the long term. It is a flagship programme for our organisation. So it is important for me to have time to see what is being done and to share with some of our most important partners. What is your impression about the Jengi Programme? This is a place with stunning resources; the only place where you can see lowland gorillas and forest elephants. But more broadly a real spectacular forest from a biodiversity perspective. It is a place for people who want to be part of finding solutions, who want to be part of conservation and a place of great challenges. This is a hard place to find good solutions. We have seen very exciting work from some of our colleagues in Central Africa Republic and here in Cameroon. We have seen some of what they are up against and the challenges they face. It has been for me a very inspiring trip. You were in a logging company (Group SEFAC) that recently received FSC Certification. Do you think, from what you saw and heard, it was worthwhile for WWF to accompany this company through the certification process? I think FSC Certification is one of the most important strategies we have developed over the last 15 years because, absolutely, we have to find ways to conserve the forest and at the same time meet the economic and social needs of surrounding communities. And certified forestry is a proven strategy for doing that. It is very exciting to see that strategy work here in Central Africa. In this specific case we were able to talk with the management and see sustainable forest management in operation. For me it was a great visit. http://www.postnewsline.com/2008/08/conservation-ca.html