June 2012 ISSN 2070-4593 - NGC

“Just as your
hair grows faster
when you cut it
regularly, it has
been
proven that
forests grow
faster when you
log trees
in a sustainable
manner; that’s
because you’re
creating
more organic
material,”
that years in advance; the time that it takes
to kill the trees around it and the time that it
takes for the valuable tree to reach maturity,”
Tjon explained.
Tropenbos Suriname Program Director
Van Kanten pointed out that the system of
exterminating unwanted trees should result
in an increase of biomass of commercial
trees in logging areas where the system is
used. “Just as your hair grows faster when
you cut it regularly, it has been proven that
forests grow faster when you log trees in a
sustainable manner; that’s because you’re
creating more organic material,” he said.
According to him this could play well in
REDD+ context.
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation
and Forest Degradation (REDD) is an effort to
create a financial compensation value for the
carbon stored in forests, offering incentives
for developing countries to reduce emissions
from forested lands and invest in low-carbon
paths to sustainable development.
“REDD+” goes beyond deforestation and
forest degradation, and includes the role of
conservation, sustainable management of
forests and enhancement of forest carbon
stocks. It is predicted that financial flows for
greenhouse gas emission reductions from
REDD+ could reach up to US$30 billion a
year.
“If executed properly, sustainable forestry
puts the plus in REDD+. This management
system is based on forest planning,
registration and maintenance, and that
results in an increase of the net production
capacity,” Van Kanten said.
He referred to a 258-page book as
the “Bible” for anyone interested in the
contribution of the CELOS Management
System to sustainable forestry. “This is an
important document that does credence to
the CELOS Management System.
I always find it pleasing when I visit
countries in Latin America that have large
forestry industries; when they talk about
Suriname, they always mention three things:
Our gold medal winning swimmer Anthony
Nesty, our football players and the CELOS
Management System also referred to as the
Suriname Management System,” he joked.
The 258-page book is written in English;
its sustainable forestry management methods
are transferrable to comparable areas in
other parts of the world.
June 2012 Earth Conscious 13