CHAINSAW MILLING IN GHANA: CONTExT, DRIVERS ... - Fornis.net

Chainsaw milling in Ghana: context, drivers and impactsIt is interesting to note that most of the trees harvested from the forest reserves werehigh value and high demand species, even restricted species such as baku (Tieghmellaheckelii).Adam and Dua-Gyamfi (2009b) report that chainsaw millers have extended theiroperations into protected and sensitive ecological areas such as Globally SignificantBiodiversity Areas (GSBAs; Box 4) and convalescent areas in forest reserves. Theirreconnaissance survey in GSBAs within Tano Offin and Atiwa Range forest reservesalso revealed a high incidence of chainsaw milling.Areas set aside in forest reserves to convalesce (i.e., to recover from heavy exploitation)are not included in Timber Utilization Contracts. In most cases convalescentareas have individual large timber trees that are scattered over a wide area, butconcentrated in a way that would allow for economic logging. Invariably thesescattered trees have become the target of illegal chainsaw millers. Many TUC holdersinterviewed by Adam and Dua-Gyamfi (2009b) questioned the relevance of convalescenceareas as a management intervention if the remnant trees could not beprotected against illegal felling.The fact that chainsaw milling is wasteful and destructive in some cases seems tostem from a lack of technical know-how and the illegal framework in which operatorswork. Administrative and capacity-building issues — such as directional felling,logging intensity and choice of operation site — could be addressed in a regularisedenvironment.Box 4. Globally significant biodiversity areasGlobally Significant Biodiversity Areas (GSBAs) are set aside within a forest reserveto ensure that some forest blocks are preserved in a condition that is as close tonatural as possible in order to preserve unique flora and fauna. The GSBA conceptis an innovation in conservation. It calls for the protection and conservation of allkinds and sizes of living organisms as well as the ecosystems within which they haveevolved, in this case the tropical high forest. In order to ensure its effectiveness andacceptance, the GSBA concept is being pursued through collaborative managementplanning and implementation processes. The communities near GSBAs arebenefiting from schemes such as alternative livelihoods and from small grants.In return, they help prevent illegal activities in the GSBA, among other things.46