ETFRN

NEws 51: sEpTEmbER 2010

5.2 Management of HCVFs in Bolivia

BONIFACIO MOSTACEDO and LINCOLN QuEVEDO

Progress and challenges

Bolivia is one of the leading countries in voluntary forest certification in natural tropical forests, with 1,647,117 certified hectares. certification has helped to solve some social problems, generated greater equity in economic benefits among workers in the forestry sector, and promoted several sustainable forest management (sFm) practices. The identification and protection of high-conservation values (hcVs) is an additional step towards environmental sustainability. identification of hcVFs is one of the first phases in the management process of certified forests, which started ten years ago. when a forest with hcVs (hcVF) is identified, managers must carry out environmental and social studies; they also must allow for input from different stakeholders, including social, scientific furTher progress and academic organizations. They then design would be possible if management practices and monitor hcVF more professionals attributes. These practices should be apparent in maps, work plans and practices in the field. were Trained in The success of these processes of consultation, managers were more commiTTed To iT. dissemination and implementation is evaluated rigorously by certifiers. in the Bolivian amazon ecosystems, for example, special written management protocols are required in order to protect tree species with high conservation value, such as Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis). The protocols call for extra care during road construction, felling and extraction to reduce damage to these species. hcVF management guidelines are also intended to protect threatened wildlife species. certified concessionaires in the western Bolivian amazon, for example, have to protect Goeldis monkey (Callimico goeldii), a species categorized by iucn as vulnerable, by forbidding hunting and protecting bamboo forests. The monkeys population densities are lower than those of other south american primates, and bamboo forests are one of its most preferred habitats. hunting pressure is severe outside of the concession areas, where

hcvf managemenT and more foresT

Bonifacio Mostacedo works for the Instituto Boliviano de Investigacin Forestal (iBiF) and Universidad Autnoma Gabriel Ren Moreno (uaGrm), Bolivia and Lincoln Quevedo works for uaGrm. Their interest in this topic is based on extensive work as researchers and consultants in forest certification in tropical nations.
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5.2 maNagEmENT oF hcvFs iN bolivia

it is sometimes impossible to take protective action. prior to the start of certification, it was common for concession workers to hunt wildlife. since certification, rules about hunting have been instituted, workers are forbidden to have guns and concessions provide meals for workers. workers can be fired if they do not follow the rules. Further progress would be possible if there were more professionals trained in hcVF management and forest managers were more committed to it. although Bolivia has developed guidelines for the identification of hcVFs, only about 30% of certified areas have detailed and accurate information about local hcVF attributes. if managers want to preserve the value of the hcVF, they need to obtain detailed field data within their management areas. many forest attributes such as threatened, endemic and rare species, special habitat for fauna and flora, and environmentally fragile areas are difficult to measure. Bringing in people with expertise to correctly identify these attributes would help managers develop appropriate strategies for the management and monitoring of hcVFs. currently, identification is done using guidelines developed in Bolivia and elsewhere, and proForest guides; expertise is sometimes provided by forest ecologists who work on this issue. Each certified concession company has a different approach to hcVF identification, which was developed according to the requirements of the evaluators.

Recommendations
This is a specialized topic, and we suggest that academic and research organizations conduct further research and training about hcVF attributes and their management. For example, updated information about the conservation status of threatened plant and animal species is required for most Bolivian ecosystems. Fieldwork training programs are also needed to build capacity; although several training workshops have been held in forest certification, none have been devoted to hcVFs. hcVF is one of the most challenging issues for certification and conservation management in Bolivia, but step by step, the concept is being better understood and implemented by forest managers.

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