Forest Policy Discussion Paper

Although this document is past its submission date, it is included here because of intense interest in the subject

FOREWORD AND INTRODUCTION

The era of an industry, conservative, self-sufficient and perhaps somewhat complacent has come to an end, however. It is to become part of the new South Africa, to recognise that there are other aspects of our national life, hitherto largely neglected, on which forestry impinges and on which forestry must in future have a positive effect.

Future forest policy must thus continue not only to foster and encourage the industry which plays such a vital role in our economy, but also to ensure that forestry, hitherto almost reclusive, is brought to all of our people in ways which can enhance their quality of life in the spirit of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, which is the over-arching guide to all our endeavours. Forestry concerns our indigenous forest and savanna woodlands, our commercial plantations and the industries which they support. It should also promote the planting and use of trees on farms, in villages and towns and cities for beauty, recreation, for shade and for fuel and for many other functions in the everyday life of our people.

A forest policy is about our common vision of how to achieve these things for the national benefit. It is about the place of law, of government, of organisations, companies and individuals in forestry, and how all of these should interact. It is about measures to bring harmony in the relationships among the different elements that lay claim to our land and scarce water resources, and to bring equity into their allocation. It is about the preservation of our flora and fauna and the natural environment. It is about people and the forest environment, their working conditions and their livelihood.

It would be too much to expect that we will soon achieve all of these objectives and that a forest utopia is at hand. That is sadly not possible for any of South Africa's problems after all of the years of neglect. We are, however, in the process of making a determined start and it is against this background that the process of formalising a new forest policy was begun when I called together the recent Forestry Conference, representative of all sectors of the forest community. I was delighted with the response and with the eagerness of all the participants from so many differing backgrounds, including the international community, to discuss views and problems which they had never before had to face, and to present suggested paths for their solution.

The Conference and the invaluable input of all its participants was preparatory to the preparation of this Discussion Document, which in its turn will lead to a draft White Paper, the penultimate step to a formal forest policy endorsed by Parliament. That final policy should ideally not be my policy alone or the policy of my Department, but a policy reached by the consensus of all of us who will in some way be touched by it.

I appeal to you therefore to study this Discussion Document very carefully and to comment on it, to modify it, to improve on it. Please be clear in your minds that it in no way indicates any official bias or tendency. It indicates rather all of the majority policy directions that were aired at the Conference, and asks for comment on these. Some of the views are provocative and some are extreme. All are worthy of your consideration.

May I therefore emphasise that the draft policy that arises from this Document and from your comments will be a combined effort. Final forest policy will be truly OUR forest policy and in the interests of all of our people. I am determined that this Policy will not, as in the past, be made behind closed doors, but will be open and participative as is the general policy of your new Government.

In conclusion, I must express my warmest thanks to Dr Fred Kruger and his Editorial Committee, and to Ms Tisha Greyling and her secretariat. I know that I gave them an almost impossible schedule that was dictated by the Parliamentary programme. They excelled themselves in meeting it.

Prof Kader Asmal, MP

Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry

Republic of South Africa

July 1995

CONTENTS

1.1 Introduction
1.2 The process of making policy
1.3 Towards a common vision for forestry
1.4 The layout of this document

2.1 Introduction
2.2 The principles upon which the new forest policy should be based
2.3 Reforming forest law

2.3.1 The scope and content of forest law and policy

2.4 Government in commercial forestry

2.5.1 The future of the forests of the former homelands
2.5.2 Restructuring the role of government in the commercial forestry sector
2.5.3 Process for choosing among options

2.6 The role of government in promoting forestry

2.6.1 Frameworks for planning forestry programmes and resource-use decisions
2.6.2 Support to small growers and processors
2.6.3 Management of natural forests and woodlands

2.7 Participation by interested and affected parties in forest policy and management
2.8 Forestry in integrated rural development
2.9 Land issues in forestry

2.9.1 Restitution
2.9.2 Land conflict in forestry areas: land redistribution
2.9.3 New afforestation
2.10 Social forestry
2.11 Getting most benefit from our water resources
2.12 How to satisfy our future needs for wood products
2.13 A competitive industry in a growing economy
2.14 Adding value to the wood we produce
2.15 The sustainability of our forestry
2.16 The relationships between employers and employees: worker conditions
2.17 Human resources development
2.18 How to conserve indigenous forests and woodlands
2.19 Effective science and technology
2.20 An informed public
2.21 Forest strategy in the southern African region
2.22 The Forestry Forum
2.23 A national forestry action plan

4. APPENDIX I - THE STATE OF FORESTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA TODAY

4.1 Relationships between people and forestry

4.1.1 Introduction: who are the stakeholders?
4.1.2 The need for rural development
4.1.3 Rural energy
4.1.4 Working in forestry
4.1.5 Land claims in forestry areas

4.2 Natural forests and woodlands

4.2.1 Natural forests
4.2.2 Woodlands
4.2.3 The use and management of natural forests and woodlands

4.3 Social forestry 29
4.4 Commercial forests and forest industries

4.4.1 The contribution of commercial forestry to the economy
4.4.2 Outgrowers and small emergent farmers in forestry

4.5 Education and training in forestry
4.6 Science and technology in South African forestry
4.7 Forest policy and law
4.8 Forestry and water resources

4.8.1 Afforestation impacts upon water supply and water quality
4.8.2 Current and predicted effects of afforestation on water resources
4.8.3 Concerns about afforestation and water supplies
4.8.4 Costs and benefits of forestry in the context of water use

4.9 Afforestation and the environment: questions of sustainability

4.9.1 Habitats and biodiversity
4.9.2 Forestry and soil fertility
4.9.3 Environmental impacts beyond the afforested area
4.9.4 Environmental policies of South African forestry firms
4.9.5 Impacts of environmental change on commercial forestry
4.9.6 Atmospheric pollution

4.10 Conclusion

Table 1.1 Extent of the different forest and woodland types in South Africa
Table 4.1 Summary of export statistics for 1993/94
Table 4.2 Research organisations in South African forestry, their key areas of R&D, research staff and funding
Table 4.3 Current national laws relating to forest and forestry
Table 4.4 International conventions relating to forests and forestry International convention

Box 2.1 Progress through negotiation: the Dwesa community on the Eastern Cape coast - from conflict to community participation
Box 4.1 Land claims and disputes: current initiatives in forestry areas
Box 4.2 Some restrictions on the harvesting of live wood which may be imposed by Tribal Authorities
Box 4.3 The historical phases in the growth of the South African forestry industry
Box 4.4 The principal elements of social forestry in South Africa
Box 4.5 Do we need to afforest more land in South Africa? The supply and demand dilemma
Box 4.6 Multiple use of forestry land: intercropping of groundnuts in eucalypt plantations
Box 4.7 Current strengths and weaknesses in the outgrower schemes in KwaZulu/Natal
Box 4.8 Aspects of past and current forestry research in South Africa
Box 4.9 The provisions of the Forest Act, Act 122 of 1984
Box 4.10 The afforestation permit system
Box 4.11 Influence of afforestation on biodiversity
Box 4.12 Forestry and global change

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

The different kinds of forest and woodland vegetation are listed in Table 1.1, together with estimates of their extent. Woodlands include both the woodland and wooded grassland categories in Table 1.1.

The South African forest policy has been uniquely formed by the struggle for land and natural resources in the country (see Box 2.1 for a case study on the Dwesa Forest).

The struggle for land influenced forestry from the beginning (e.g. Box 2.1). The Natal Ordinance No. 2 of 1855 "... to prevent unlicensed squatting and to regulate the occupation of land by Natives" and the Squatters' Rent Law of 1884 are among the early land-related statutes invoked to support the control of occupation and use of undemarcated forest land. The Natives Land Act of 1913 and the Natives Trust and Land Act of 1936 later also played a role.

Table 1.1 Extent of the different forest and woodland types in South Africa

Forest type         Structural description                Extent (ha)
                    and brief definition
(ha)
Plantations         Single species (usually either pine     1,390,000
                    or eucalyptus), regular spacing,
                    even-aged stands.

Forests             Closed canopy with three or more          327,600
                    tree layers; many species and age
                    classes; typically 5 to 20 m tall.
                    Fires penetrate only rarely.

Woodlands           40-99% canopy cover, usually a tree     1,240,000
                    layer, shrub layer and grass layer,
                    typically 6m or more tall; regular
                    fires.

Wooded              As above, but 5-40% canopy cover;      26,600,000
grasslands          typically less than 6m tall

Total                                                      29,557,600

Environmental concerns about forestry emerged from about the mid-eighteenth century, focusing on the ecological and hydrological effects of fire, and the need to conserve forests for the greater good.

Controversy about the effects of afforestation on water supplies began in the 1920s, and continues today. This led to the controls on afforestation that have been applied for the last 23 years. Only about 1% of the country is afforested, but this has led to intense controversy about broader environmental impacts, not just impacts on water.

A new forest policy must address the needs of South Africa for the benefits coming from forestry, tangible and intangible, while also helping to resolve these conflicts, and meeting the needs of communities, workers and businesses involved in forestry.

Box 2.1 Progress through negotiation: the Dwesa community on the Eastern Cape coast - from conflict to community participation The 4,100 ha Dwesa Nature Reserve contains an astonishing diversity of land forms: rocky shores, sandy beaches, highly productive grasslands, wetlands, estuaries and open woodlands. The people have co-existed with these diverse ecosystems for at least 300 years. The present community is poorly educated, and most households have an income of below R500 per month. There is no piped water, sewerage, electricity or telephones, and the roads are poor. Schools are primitive and hospitals are remote and poorly equipped. Dwesa was demarcated a State Forest in 1890. Local people were allowed to harvest forest produce and shellfish under supervision of foresters. They had unrestricted access to their ancestral graves, sea water for rituals and beach sand for building, but had to pay a nominal fee to harvest forest plants. Their cattle grazed within the boundaries of the unfenced State Forest. In 1976 Dwesa was proclaimed a nature reserve under the Transkei Nature Conservation Act, Act 6 of 1971, and managed by the former Transkei Department of Nature Conservation. Members of the local community continued to have access to resources as before. But, when in 1981 rhinoceros and other wildlife were introduced to the reserve, it was fenced and the community excluded. People soon became impoverished through lack of access to the reserve's resources. Large numbers of cattle died during drought, while inside the reserve the grasslands became rank and unproductive. Laws were rigidly enforced. Communication between the local community and conservation staff virtually ceased. After the April 1994 elections, the community held several meetings with the nature conservation authorities in Umtata, expressing their need for access to and controlled use of the protected area. After months of no response, people began protest action which culminated in organized destruction of the marine shell-fish resources. During the spring tides between September and November 1994, hundreds of women and children descended on the rocky shores of Dwesa and removed every piece of shellfish using spades, crowbars and picks. They also felled forest saplings. Law enforcement failed. A political and conservation crisis ensued which was exacerbated by pressure from the media, the public and green NGOs. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in the Eastern Cape then commissioned a scientific investigation to recommend appropriate steps for a solution. Meanwhile, the reserve was invaded a second time. The report recommended several steps: a representative local "Conservation Forum" for negotiations (at that stage such a forum had already been initiated by the community); community-based law enforcement; improved communication and environmental education which addressed local needs; controlled harvesting of resources, based on scientific studies and community needs; initiation of development projects which would not destroy the character of the area. These recommendations and subsequent meetings caused the spirit to change from confrontation to cooperation. Community leaders undertook to abide by restrictions, as long as these were based on sound information, and undertook to enforce regulations themselves. The Conservation Forum has since grown from strength to strength, and most local people abide by the new regulations. Early in 1995, a multi-disciplinary group of specialists designed a bioregional development plan for the Dwesa area, which was explained to and discussed with the Conservation Forum and other members of the community. This proposal now carries their full support. The development plan will be completed in February 1996. Meanwhile, several development projects are being initiated.

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1.2 The process of making policy

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1.3 Towards a common vision for forestry

The National Forestry Policy Conference on 2 and 3 March 1995 drew together a broad representation of parties interested in a new policy for South Africa's forests and forestry. Delegates expressed marked differences in view, for example, between the interests of labour and the interests of business, and on questions relating to the environment. Many deep concerns were expressed.

Nevertheless, the delegates clearly saw the prospect of a future for people involved with forests and forestry, based on the common ground they found and the respect they showed for the different points of view of others. Some elements to describe this prospect would include the following:

• a prosperous forest sector, with the benefits shared between companies, their employees and shareholders, and communities;
• a life of dignity for rural people marked by having their needs for water, other basic requirements and a quality environment met adequately and securely;
• a sense of ownership in our forest, woodland and plantation resources among landowners,local communities and the public at large, matched by responsibilities in the way they use the resources as well as a recognition of both the traditional and the new values attached to these resources;
• the present divide between the white commercial sector and the black subsistence sector would disappear;
• a satisfaction among environmental concerns and those who practice forestry that what is precious in the South African environment would be protected and wisely used, while economic development would proceed freely wherever beneficial and sustainable;
• a vigorous and competitive private sector, where companies and new entrepreneurs would conduct business freely and profitably, within the parameters determining social and environmental responsibility.

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1.4 The layout of this document

An attempt has been made to use simple language and to avoid technical jargon except where it is unavoidable.

The document has two main sections. Chapter 2 sets out the main policy issues and problems facing the forestry sector in South Africa at this time. There are widely differing opinions on many of the issues and an attempt has been made to present the different opinions as fairly as possible. The Appendix provides a great deal of background information on forestry and the forestry industry in the country. This provides the context for the present policy debate.

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2. ISSUES, POLICY OPTIONS AND STRATEGIES

2.1 Introduction

• the devolved management of wilderness areas and other extensive conservation areas on State forests under the responsibility of the Provinces;
• responsibility for management, or oversight of management, of natural forests in State forests retained by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry;
• an annual national inventory of commercial plantation forest resources and wood-processing industries;
• national self-sufficiency in wood for commercial purposes;
• a free market and free trade in wood and products from wood;
• the establishment of Safcol as a State-owned asset;
• the absence of incentives for afforestation;
• the control of afforestation in favour of water resources, with provision for other environmental impacts through environmental impact assessment where necessary;
• a social forestry responsibility for government, pursued through a nursery and a woodlot programme in Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and the Biomass Initiative of the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs, now being implemented by the Independent Development Trust;
• recognition of self-regulation by companies and farmers with respect to environmental management and sustainability.

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2.2 The principles upon which the new forest policy should be based

• a national policy: the policy should recognise that we are all of one nation, and should not allow separate interests to jeopardise the common good;
• an integrated forest policy: the forest policy should be integrated with the overall policies for the country, especially the Reconstruction and Development Programme, and should lead the way to a sustainable forest sector;
• a people-driven and consultative policy: effective and transparent governance in the implementation of policy, with progressive clarification of the respective roles of central, provincial and local government, of the Forest Forum of the private sector, and of empowered community-based organisations; special attention is needed in the creation of capacity at grass-roots level to engage in forest-related plans and projects; special attention should be given to mechanisms for ongoing participation in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of policy;
• a policy that will provide long-term work security: and that will lead to an environment in which people are proud to work and are able to contribute to nation-building;
• a policy that will lead to new opportunities, based on past achievements, to which everyone should have equal opportunity of access;
• a policy that will lead to democratisation of all the institutions involved in the sector in such a way that all stakeholders have sufficient opportunity to participate in policy making and decision taking, and so that the right to determine our own future, especially at local levels, is properly protected;
• a policy that will recognise the role of women in forestry: a major matter of principle relates to the role of women in forestry; in many respects, African women hold the key to successful rural development, not simply because they are so often the effective heads of households, but also because of their greater aptitude for many kinds of work than men, their facilitation skills and demonstrated enterprise; on the other hand, an unsustainable burden falls upon most rural women; measures are required to ensure that women have the power and authority to influence policies, plans and projects.
• the policy should ensure that forest resources are sustainably managed: to meet the social economic, cultural and spiritual human needs of future as well as present generations, the policy should recognise the interdependence between environment and development and provide the framework and methods to ensure that our forest, woodland, and plantation resources are used and managed in an environmentally sustainable way

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2.3 Reforming forest law

2.3.1 The scope and content of forest law and policy

Present forest law and policy reflects an integrated approach to protection, management, and use of forest resources, of any kind. This approach has the advantage that forest resources are clearly identified on the national agenda, with clear responsibilities defined; it accords with international custom and "soft" law. Furthermore, it reflects the responsibility, recognised in national and international norms and law, that each farmer, forester, or enterprise has to ensure that the forest estate is sustainably managed, which is the core of the concept of environmentally sustainable development.

The alternative is to separate the portfolio of resource conservation from the portfolio of resource exploitation; the conservation provisions of the Forest Act, for example, would be removed and placed with the Environment Conservation Act. Through this, the industry as such would operate within the framework of independent enabling legislation, while simultaneously being controlled by environmental legislation, and the conflict of interest would be removed. Government forest functions would then have a strong affinity with agriculture: a change in present government organisation could follow.

How the current Forest Act is revised will depend on the choice between these two approaches.

Revising the Forest Act

The process of revision would need to address several issues, as outlined below.

Conservation of the forest resource as a whole

• conservation of forests: should all present forest land (including woodlands) be protected irrespective of ownership? There would need to be provision for different ownerships and uses (central and local government, local communities, big private companies, small-holders), bearing in mind provisions for joint or participatory forest management;
• the allowable uses of resources in protected forest;
• privatisation of State forests;
• nature reserves, wilderness areas and national parks in terms of the Forest Act and other statutes would need to be properly recognised, and the role of a new forest act with regards to these lands must be clarified;
• recognition of the rights of local communities.

• conservation within protected forests: matters such as protection of water resources and soils, conservation of biodiversity, cultural heritage and scenic beauty;
• forest management within protected forests would need to be described in terms of the multiple functions and sustainable use of forest lands;
• public access to forests for recreation, grazing, collection of wood and other forest products will have to be treated together with provisions for joint or participatory forest management; certification of sustainable forest management must be considered.

• provision for guidelines and regulations directed at protecting water resources and nature, and revision of the afforestation permit system.

• provisions for protection against fire, pests and diseases, consistent with the provisions of plant protection legislation.

• afforestation for catchment rehabilitation and control, sand dune fixation and other conservation measures including forests' role as carbon sinks.

• forest authorities and law administration; Forest Forum;
• recognition of and delegation to local government, community-based organisations, and others;
• forest research and training may be included in the act, or they may be dealt with better in other legislation;
• forest inventories, forest statistics and other monitoring of forest resources;
• incentives such as tax exemptions, grants and soft loans to support afforestation for conservation and recreation, to support public access and recreation facilities, restoration of degraded lands, and related matters;
• financing of administration, grants, loan interests, research and training may be included via tariffs and charges.

• provision where necessary for community forestry and agroforestry.

• the new forest act should not deal with the National Botanical Institute and National Botanic gardens;
• the new forest act should not deal with the National Hiking Way System (but with public access and recreation in a general manner);
• the new forest act should not deal with timber quality or timber prices; they are best left with the market forces, and timber trade should follow general trade rules;
• control of airborne pollution and other external hazards must be dealt with in other legislation;
• land use planning will affect forest lands and afforestation, but it is dealt with in other law(s).

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2.4 The way government will play its part

Broadly speaking, government as a whole (central, provincial, and local) could play its part in three different ways. First, it could do this by command and control, regulating and policing many if not all matters in detail, and doing much of the work itself. This approach has been discredited all over the world as being inefficient and unsustainable. There are however elements of this approach still being practised. State Forests and private forests are managed by excluding most people and tight control of all activities in the forest areas.

A second way of governing would be strategic, where government would gather information about forests and forestry, assess the state of resources and their management, and use certain mechanisms such as consultative forums, incentives, and persuasion to influence developments to meet agreed-upon goals. This would include supporting the other stakeholders in the sector, for example, by providing legal certification for sustainably-managed forests.

A third way would be by playing a minimum role, and allowing the constitution and the common law as well as a minimum of statutes, market forces, and the common interest to determine what individtals, firms and various interested groups do or don't do. When we discuss the

policy issues below, we will try to show the options in the light of these different ways of governing.

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2.5 Government in commercial forestry

Government's function in commercial forestry has changed with the establishment of Safcol. However, the forests of the former homelands are currently the responsibility of central government.

There is strong opinion against the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry playing the role as manager of these forests as a commercial operation, because it now lacks the capacity to do this, because of the prospect of an undue influence of government in business, as in the past, and because of the greater net benefits to the taxpayer that would accrue from commercialisation of the forests. However, the situation is not simple: many staff are involved, more, proportionately, than would be supported by a commercial operation, the land may be needed in the land reform programme, and the ultimate form of commercialisation chosen (corporate, or small-farmer and small business) is still an open question, the asset base may not be attractive for a commercial operation; these issues need careful evaluation before they can be resolved.

The options available are:

• to transfer the assets and liabilities to Safcol, to be managed as part of Safcol's commercial operation, or to be managed with a subsidy to compensate for the costs of making the operations commercially viable;
• to sell the assets, with the land being made available on a long-term lease, to interested parties from the private sector, including farmers; affirmative action guidelines could be applied to ensure the entry of black-owned businesses and black farmers into this sector;
• to use all or part of the land and assets in the land reform programme, to settle new farmers on the land as forest farmers or otherwise, on the basis of local consultation and negotiation;
• to excise land important for catchment protection and habitat and biodiversity conservation, and dispose of the balance through one of the options outlined here.

2.5.2 Restructuring the role of government in the commercial forestry sector

The creation of Safcol fell short of full privatisation of a government function. There are several options for the future which must all be examined and consulted widely. Some options include the following:

• privatisation of the company through sale of shares: government could retain a majority or a minority shareholding or none at all; limitations could be placed on shareholding to ensure black empowerment, participation by individuals, and to prevent dominance by large companies as shareholders
• government retains its sole ownership, and employs Safcol for strategic aims, such as supply to new processing plants for increasing value-addition within the country.

2.5.3 Process for choosing among options

The choices available could be addressed in the following steps:

• consultation with the private sector, workers, community, and other interested and affected parties to determine detailed concerns and issues related to the future of the resources;
• inventory, assessment and valuation of the former homeland forests, and an audit of the staffing and competency levels and financial state of the entities currently managing them;
• examination of the experience in other countries in disposing of State forest assets, such as in New Zealand, Uganda and Kenya;
• assessment of the financial viability of alternative models of ownership and management of the forest resources;
• evaluation of strategies for enhancing value-addition to wood within South Africa;
• implementation under the direction of a task force representing appropriate government departments, the private sector, labour and civil society.

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2.6 The role of government in promoting forestry

In many districts, further afforestation of any scale is constrained by concerns about water resources, loss of habitat and biodiversity, or unwanted social impacts, or any combination of these. In others, these constraints are less important and there is significant potential for afforestation.

Present policies and strategies recognize this diversity in part, by differentiating between the state of water resources in each of the major catchments in the country for example. Nevertheless, every project involving afforestation of any kind currently requires the detailed procedure of the afforestation permit system, and a full environmental impact analysis if public representation requires this. This requirement will severely inhibit afforestation, and is especially burdensome for small farmers and communities wanting to afforest.

An alternative approach could involve a district-level planning framework, linked with water-resource management strategies at catchment level, a link which can readily be achieved through information technologies such as geographical information systems. Properly facilitated participation by interest groups in each district would ensure that people's aspirations are incorporated. Such a framework would:

• identify districts in which further afforestation must be controlled or limited, and where detailed permit procedures would be needed, while indicating others where afforestation could proceed for the present with less constraint;
• relate afforestation potential to socio-economic factors and the state of soils and climate, to guide implementation of incentive schemes in the social forestry area;
• streamline and standardise decision instruments such as permit application procedures and environmental impact assessment to reduce their cost and associated delays, while improving the quality of the decisions;
• find the optimum set of limitations, incentives, and disincentives to apply in each district of the country.

2.6.2 Support to small growers and processors

Government is intent on developing its role as a supporter of forestry, especially through social forestry and the small-farmer sector. Clear policies, strategies, and framework plans, based on information and broad participation, are needed at the outset.

Support through extension services is an obvious need. The most effective way of doing so and empowering beneficiaries to gain the best advice and choose effectively among real options needs to be developed. It is vital that farmers and small businesses have ready access to objective information and advice so that they can exercise good judgement in their own decisions. Financial services and development of management skills are also important. Incentives, such as the currently proposed subsidies need to be strategically applied. Government and the private sector need to clarify complementary and mutually reinforcing roles, since both already promote forestry among farmers and communities.

Policy choices are important here. Rather than choose to provide the services itself, a policy which may prove to be unsustainable in the face of financial limitations, the government may choose to support beneficiaries through advice, facilitation (such as for the formation of local cooperatives), and credit. Communities, small farmers and businesses would then call on consultants and NGOs to obtain services according to their needs, and be empowered to make sound decisions when contracting with large companies. Such a policy can be designed to put the power of choice into the hands of intended beneficiaries.

The lessons from around the world show that bureaucracy must be ruthlessly minimised if rapid progress is desired. The simpler and more direct the procedures for delivering support to beneficiaries and in reaching policy and planning decisions, the more rapidly development follows.

The current support and extension programme may therefore need to be re-evaluated and, if necessary, redesigned:

• to ensure its fitness for a strategic approach to forestry development, as suggested in 2.6.1 above;
• to ensure that the programmes are aligned with current rural development strategies, by pilot implementation together with the current small-farmer support and land reform pilot projects in the RDP;
• to evaluate the delivery system and ensure that it leads to empowerment of the intended beneficiaries and viable, self-sustaining forestry projects, and avoid ones which are dependent on government.

Another set of issues relates to the conservation of forests and woodlands, and the responsibilities for executing conservation programmes and managing the resource. The need for participatory management favours the delegation of this function. Also important is the question of the monitoring and evaluation of the state of forestry, and of forests and woodlands, to determine whether national and international norms are attained, and to intervene if they are not. This would be especially important if the function were to be delegated.

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2.7 Participation by interested and affected parties in forest policy and management

• the need for investment to ensure that communities and interest groups are capable and able to participate;
• legal and institutional protection of their rights to participate, even in the face of recalcitrant government and commercial institutions;
• institutions and procedures that would facilitate and accelerate negotiation and joint planning and management, involving communities, private-sector interests, and government agencies.

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2.8 Forestry in integrated rural development

• social: where rural development leads to overall benefits by the provision of social amenities such as education, democratic decision making, recreational facilities, and adequate health care;
• economic: where economic activity is encouraged sufficiently in rural areas to provide job security and a sustainable improvement in living standards and involves simultaneous, harmonious development of several sectors such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, and small enterprises;
• environmental: economic activity can only take place by using natural resources; managing the natural resource base in a sustainable way is critical to both rural and urban economies, the more so for rural people who are directly dependent on natural resources to secure a livelihood; it is therefore critical that environmental planning is done in conjunction with overall development planning in rural areas.

• the close cooperation that is required between the forestry industry, government, other economic sectors, local forums and labour unions in developing a common vision for rural development;
• the contribution that commercial forestry can make in job and entrepreneurship creation in rural areas, especially by small-grower schemes, noting that government support is still required to enable small growers to be independent from the large companies, and the need for a responsible contracting sector to arise;
• the fuelwood requirements of rural communities that can be obtained from indigenous woodlands, as residual material from commercial plantations, and through social forestry programmes;
• the role of trees, woodlands and forests in the cultural life of rural people; provision should be made for sacred ancestral sites, access to medicinal plants and building materials;
• the role of emergent small farmers practising forestry or agroforestry on their farms in collectively contributing in the forestry industry and the feasibility of their making a significant contribution to domestic wood supply;
• that wood from existing and new forests can contribute to vigorous integrated rural development because of low entry barriers to small wood-based industries and the real growth and profitability of these businesses, arising from the linkage with housing and household needs (e.g. furniture);
• innovation in the processing sector can contribute to growth in district economies, especially through greater beneficiation of raw materials and waste; linkage with the SMME and local service centres initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry should be used to accelerate technological innovation;
• opportunities exist in the need for investment in more processing capacity in pulp and paper manufacture and many other processing industries, as well as the drive to increase value addition in South Africa, to guide and support such investment and exploit the job multiplier effect of these projects
• further ways of encouraging large companies through their social responsibility programmes to contribute to living standards and human resource development among communities involved in forestry;
• opportunities for increasing the benefits from commercial estates through multiple-use forest management, through non-wood forest products, ecotourism and other developments, which could be improved through motivation and incentives;
• the potential for forestry (especially because of rising wood prices) to contribute to development in districts experiencing economic decline, such as in the Stilfontein and adjoining districts where mine closures are causing unemployment.

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2.9 Land issues in forestry

2.9.1 Restitution

State land has been earmarked for the pool for restitution of land claims in the new dispensation. Both the State land administered by Safcol and the land of the former homelands forests are therefore involved in some degree.

Restitution does not necessarily imply reoccupation; one alternative is an equitable basis for sharing the benefits derived from the land. The land restitution process could be facilitated by Safcol and the Department's participation in the land reform pilot projects in the Western Cape.

2.9.2 Land conflict in forestry areas: land redistribution

Current land reform initiatives are likely to impact on negotiations on land in forestry. The Department will need to ensure that its strategies and those of the current pilot projects of the Department of Land Affairs are compatible.

Government policy should build on the initiative, pragmatism and contributions embodied in the examples of successful negotiation outlined in Chapter 4. The problem of land disputes and competing claims need not be seen as one in which the government must be the backstop in all situations and "rescue" current owners and claimants from any costs or responsibility for solving their problems.

The costs should be shared between the various parties involved and the State. Thus, the State could encourage locally negotiated settlements by providing support in the form of housing subsidies or contributions to the cost of additional land where the scale of the problem requires a land base beyond that which the current landowner can provide. Other forms of support could include the provision of services and agricultural support services to the new owners. Durable solutions could be reinforced further by providing the rural housing policies now being developed for companies to access subsidies, on the condition that they give security of residential tenure. The same could apply for rural schools.

Similarly, the land claimants should contribute to the viability of the settlements, through imposing clear internal rules and controls, building boundary fences, assisting with fire control and, in some instances, having to move their homesteads to new locations. Where the land claim is not based on strong historical claims to the land in question, claimants could also be expected to contribute towards the costs of the land. The rural tradition of communities contributing to the costs of establishing services such as water supply, roads and schools should be built upon.

A key measure would be the introduction of legislation to recognise and protect the rights of long-term occupants of forestry land; the Restitution Act has precedents for these kinds of rights. The protective aspect of such legislation would restrict the circumstances under which landowners could legally evict rights holders. At the same time such legislation would be an incentive to those landowners who have already begun the process of give and take through negotiated settlements. It would ensure an equal legal and economic environment so that the more progressive companies do not find their competitiveness compromised. Furthermore, it averts the danger of the more responsible landowners being influenced by tensions caused by evictions in their vicinity.

A key incentive would be that agreements reached through local negotiations would be reviewed for fairness and then recorded as valid and permanent settlements of outstanding or pending land rights claims in respect of that land, thus continuing the underlying goal of negotiations, which is to achieve stability in land rights. There are currently initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Land Affairs to develop such legislation.

2.9.3 New afforestation

New afforestation projects, of any scale, will have the potential for conflict on the question of land rights and the access to resources, the more so since a large portion of the suitable land occurs in the former homelands. The lessons from land conflict in current forestry areas provide a guide for procedures to apply in new afforestation proposals.

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2.10 Social forestry

A strategic role for government is suggested by the following factors:

• the opportunity to contribute to the goals of the RDP through social forestry;
• forestry can make contributions in remote rural situations;
• new enterprises that can be built upon forest resources;
• the need to strengthen the capability of disadvantaged communities and farmers to participate in social forestry;
• the need for investment to rehabilitate degraded rural and urban environments;
• the anticipated lag in providing for the energy needs of remote rural communities, and thus the continued potential for deforestation;
• the opportunity to accelerate rural development through a partnership between government, the private sector, and disadvantaged communities.

The policy for social forestry would need to address several issues:

• the need for a framework to choose the best social forestry strategies in each district, based on understood determinants of social forestry and agroforestry potential, which takes account of biophysical potentials in different parts of the country, technical factors determining the choice of systems, economic factors at different scales including the household economy (including such things as household time budgets), social and institutional arrangements, and the energy strategy for the country;
• the need for participatory planning and project development at local and district levels;
• interventions that may be effective to stimulate sustainable ways of supplying seedlings of appropriate trees;
• the need for an appropriate and sustainable extension and research service;
• the need for accelerated training at all levels in modern approaches to social forestry.

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2.11 Getting most benefit from our water resources

New policy would need to address several things:

• for the goal of most-beneficial use of water to be achieved, any policy must be even-handed in its treatment of the sectors competing for water;
• it would need to be efficient, providing the greatest benefit at least cost, and equitable, ensuring just access to the benefits yielded;
• it must resolve issues at the local level, while simultaneously accommodating the interests of the region and the country as a whole, and of the international community;
• the afforestation permit system, as the instrument through which government controls afforestation, needs to be developed;
• the new framework should clearly identify the districts where forestry (and other land uses) can proceed with minimum administrative requirements, and the districts where certain constraints would apply, recognising differing needs of the different catchments and districts of the country;
• it must help to address local concerns, including those of black communities afraid to lose local water supplies through small-scale afforestation; a framework of this kind is outlined in section 2.6.1;
• environmental concerns need to be addressed by proper implementation of the participatory evaluation of permit applications announced by the Minister, but the costs to the applicant must not be unreasonable; legitimate entrants to forestry, especially small farmers and communities must not be excluded; streamlined assessment procedures are needed.

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2.12 How to satisfy our future needs for wood products

We have two broad sets of options available to us. The first is to rely on the forces of the national and international markets and encourage trade in wood and wood products. Price would determine how much wood is grown locally, or how much is imported and used to gain greater value. Our domestic market would be competitively supplied. Wood could be imported from countries where the social and environmental costs are lower. Should domestic production of pulpwood be inadequate, for example, it may become necessary to import chips or pulp, but this would be beneficial if manufactured products of higher value were to be exported.

This approach would result in increased afforestation to some degree inside the country, as determined by the economic returns expected by land-owners (relative to other land uses) and regulatory constraints. It has the risk of exposing the country to future foreign-exchange losses and to loss of potential investments in job-creating wood processing capacity (though the investment funds could go into other, more profitable projects).

Alternatively, a strategy based on the estimated capacity for our natural resources to supply our needs could be devised, which would include several elements:

• promote investment in research for improved, sustainable yields from the current afforested areas, including:
  • greater efficiency of harvesting;
  • improved forest management;
  • increased growth rates of trees through implementing the results of tree-breeding and silvicultural research;
  • improved management of pests, diseases and fire;
  • sustaining appropriate research and technology transfer;

• competitive prices for timber, by ensuring that the industry is exposed to international and domestic market forces, and by ensuring that policies do not discriminate in favour of or against the forestry sector;
• influence macro-economic policy to ensure that the forestry sector is not disadvantaged (e.g. through tariff policies that increase the costs of transport) and that domestic costs and prices are internationally competitive;
• promote greater efficiency in the processing industry, through continual improvements in management, ongoing technological innovation, and a well educated, efficient, and flexible work force, also to be achieved in part through fostering a competitive environment and avoiding the protection of inefficient firms;
• promote greater recycling of processed materials and the minimisation and effective utilisation of waste;
• increased afforestation, possibly by many thousands of hectares over the next 15 - 20 years, to be achieved principally by creating a policy environment which allows the forestry sector to develop in an environmentally sustainable manner in equal competition with other sectors, and which facilitates the entry of new growers into forestry by using surplus land on farms or communal areas, by introducing agroforestry, and perhaps by large-scale afforestation;
• continue to allow the free import of wood and wood products, while protecting the domestic industry against dumping, and work with other countries in southern Africa to create an efficient and productive forestry sector in the region as a whole.

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2.13 A competitive industry in a growing economy

In addition to the factors mentioned in Section 2.12, the new policy should:

• seek to contribute to an environment where business decisions can be made on the basis of best financial returns, while the full costs and benefits, economic, social, and environmental, are brought into the reckoning by the overall policy;
• especially in forestry, ensure that products of the industry are recognised and certified internationally as coming from environmentally sustainable operations;
• promote the growth of industries which add value to the primary, secondary and tertiary products from wood and discourage the export of raw material.

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2.14 Adding value to the wood we produce

The process of adding value requires investment in new plants or increasing present plant throughput.

The government could play a strategic role with regard to financing of new capacity through joint ventures with the private sector. Such joint ventures have been facilitated by the Industrial Development Corporation for many years. A new pulp mill, while being the most capital-intensive option, would have the added benefit of increasing competition among pulp producers, thereby relieving the current concentration of pulp production.

There would be a number of other options through which government could influence value-addition, some of which would require greater state compulsion than others.

• through a tax on the export of raw materials such as wood; this would affect the profitability of such exports and result in more domestic processing;
• convene a co-operative committee to examine options for adding value to the material - this could be done on a partnership basis and could involve the voluntary participation of government (including Safcol), various private sector bodies, and labour; the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) may be able to facilitate such a process;
• government and industry partners could examine ways of supporting clusters or loose cooperatives of small firms in their export drives (refer to the discussion in 2.6.2 on how government can support innovation in small firms);
• the government could leave the issue in the hands of the private sector and merely appeal to them to beneficiate the wood before export.

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2.15 The sustainability of our forestry

The new forest policy would need to recognise the need for demonstrable sustainability, in terms of three main categories into which elements that must be sustained can be placed:

• economic sustainability, i.e. that the yields of forest products, and the industries and people that rely economically on the forest and its products can be maintained in future;
• social sustainability, which emphasises that the requirements of people are met now and in future, especially through policies and projects that are developed and implemented with the participation of all stakeholders and therefore are politically sound;
• environmental sustainability, where forestry is practised so that natural physical and biological processes are maintained.

Afforestation causes ecological changes which result in a plantation ecosystem which is then the system which is assessed for sustainability. In this regard there are five main issues which have a major influence on the long-term sustainability of the commercial forestry industry. These are water, site fertility, conservation of biodiversity, economic issues and social issues.

The policy should address several options:

• government, industry, and other stakeholders should establish the need for a law for the certification of forests and forestry operations as being sustainably managed and hence as meeting international criteria for sustainability; the choice is also needed between the current self-assessment approach, which may be sufficient in terms of international law and custom, and in which a statutory mechanism is invoked instead;
• effects of afforestation on soil-water resources and soil fertility and the prospects for sustaining current levels of plantation productivity through mitigatory management such as fertilisation and mixed plantings need assessment in the light of commercial and national interest;
• the effects of atmospheric pollution, especially in the Eastern Transvaal, need to be managed and understood; the relative roles of government and the private sector in this needs debate and resolution; for example, the private sector feels that it is government's role to see to the necessary research;
• biodiversity: afforestation diminishes biodiversity locally, but the practice of forestry contributes significantly to the conservation of biodiversity and habitats in the country; here again, a choice is needed as to whether government should work with the private sector in establishing a strategy for the conservation of habitats and biodiversity in the regions within which afforestation has and will occur, or whether self-regulation is sufficient;
• economic sustainability: the policy issues addressed in 2.12 and 2.13;
• social sustainability issues: the need for a sense of ownership in forestry among rural South Africans, beginning with resolution of land issues, and proceeding to greater participation in the forest and forest products industry and economic stability through diversification of the grower base, of processing enterprises and of markets; the present style of development and operation is in stark contrast to the community orientation traditionally associated with the formal and non-formal farming sector; a change in style from a "forestry industry" perspective to a "farming perspective" will bring with it the sense of self regulation associated with ownership and participation and will promote community development.

• the limits to expansion of forestry in South Africa need to be scientifically re-evaluated to ensure that the potential extent of sustainable forestry is clearly understood;
• commercial forestry needs to be evaluated, relative to agriculture and alternatives, in terms of the extent and consequences of the use of chemicals (fertilisers, herbicides, and pesticides) and to the degree to which these may be replaced with alternative remedies which are economically viable and which would render forestry more sustainable in ecological terms;
• similarly, the products derived from wood need to be evaluated over their full cycles from raw material through manufacturing and distribution to ultimate disposal to assess options for rendering their life-cycles cleaner in terms of environmental impacts.

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2.16 The relationships between employers and employees: worker conditions

The Draft Labour Relations Act is an enabling framework. It creates the parameters for sound industrial relations but it does not relieve the parties (employers and employees) of the responsibility of creating proper institutions and procedures to facilitate a constructive relationship.

An important question is whether or not a national forestry policy should deal with employment and working conditions. One choice would be to leave job creation, conditions of employment, and wages to the realm of labour market policy and refer these issues to the Department of Labour. The new Labour Relations Bill would then be relied upon to deal with the labour issues that have arisen in the industry. Alternatively, labour questions could be seen as an important aspect of the commercial forestry industry; the needs and grievances of forestry workers would therefore be addressed as part of the process of reforming forestry policy.

There are three broad options for regulating wages and conditions of employment:

• the status quo, in which negotiations are decentralised or where conditions are set unilaterally, which provides flexibility but does not address equity concerns nor does it sufficiently protect workers and employers;
• central negotiation which creates a basic minimum wage for various categories of work, and which sets basic minimum standards of employment, which provides for equity but may disregard the need for flexibility unless carefully structured;
• wage board regulation in which the government is the final arbiter of wages and conditions, which may become an important option if the parties are unable to reach agreement on the system to be followed.

This model could take account of employers' need for flexibility and recognise the very real differences between different employers, but at the same time provide some protection for employees who might otherwise be exploited.

The issue of contractors: a policy for wage bargaining would go some way towards relieving the conditions of employees who work for small growers and contractors. However, in relation to contractors (and particularly those involved in core forestry activities such as planting and harvesting) additional measures may be necessary. The aim would be to ensure that contractors meet minimum standards with regard to health and safety provisions, wages and working conditions. One way to do this would be to establish a national Code of Conduct to which registered contractors must subscribe. Such a Code could lay down basic provisions which all signatories would be obliged to meet. Another option would be to charge the large companies who employ the contractors with the responsibility to ensure that their contractors meet basic conditions before employing them.

An alternative to a bargaining structure and its provisions would be to recognize the drive in the industry as a whole toward certain minimum quality standards, and the contracting policies in certain large companies for managing contractors. These policies could be promoted among smaller companies and growers, until most contracts are determined by industry-wide standards.

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2.17 Human resources development

The fundamental educational base established through our school and tertiary educational system determines the basic competencies available for employment in forestry. However, education in South Africa has not developed the talents of our nation. Until this situation is redressed, affirmative action within forestry firms and institutions will be needed to accelerate the realisation of available talent.

The new policy would need to:

• identify and pursue options for a common approach between government, the private sector workers and the tertiary education sector to address future needs for qualified people and for the retraining and advancement of present employees, especially from the former homelands institutions;
• employ consensus 'incentives' or regulation for the recognition of skills acquired by workers in industry training programmes, to improve upward mobility and flexibility;
• establish transparency regarding affirmative action programmes to facilitate rapid progress toward full realisation of available talent in forestry, through recognition, moral suasion, and incentives.

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2.18 How to conserve indigenous forests and woodlands

Two issues are important here. The first is the delegation of conservation responsibilities for these forests, where this responsibility is currently shared among the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the National Parks Board and the provincial authorities, and Safcol. The second is the need to shift toward participatory management of natural forests.

The policy should seek to retain all forests demarcated as State Forests or proclaimed in other conservation laws. Recent inventories of the forests need to be evaluated to establish the need, if any, for further setting aside of the forests. The provisions in the Forest Act for the protection of trees and forests outside demarcated State Forest should be relinquished in favour of equivalent provisions in other conservation law. Clarity is needed regarding the delegation of management responsibilities to Safcol and the Provinces, as well as standards of management and their assessment by central government. The best option appears to be for central government to limit its direct involvement to the formulation and oversight of policy, and the monitoring and evaluation of the state of the forests.

Participatory management of natural forests would involve local-level plans appropriate to the needs and aspirations of the communities who neighbour upon the forests. This management would be similar in principle to that for woodlands, except that most of the forests are in the hands of the State, and this would influence the nature of the partnership with communities.

The woodlands, being extensive, need to be conserved not only for their biodiversity but also for their utility. Adequate policy and strategy for their conservation would need to begin with a proper assessment of their status, starting with the inventory recently completed through the Biomass Initiative.

Clearly, the woodlands in National Parks and other statutory reserves should remain; here too the need is for greater participation in their management by stakeholding communities. Resource management areas described in Chapter 4 (Appendix 1), would need legal recognition where this is not already the case. Sustainable management with conserved areas, whether managed by parks or forestry authorities, requires approaches based on participative management. A continuum is available, from a situation where the authority is the senior partner in the participative scheme, to the extreme where the community manages the resources as common property, with authorities merely providing services, such as in the current resource management areas. The option of authorities managing on their own, appears seldom to be realistic.

Outside the parks, natural woodland is frequently degraded. These degraded areas, once assessed, would need plans for rehabilitation, often best achieved through the natural regenerative capacity of the woodland. Once rehabilitated, management could proceed as outlined below.

The extensive woodlands in good condition must necessarily be managed by the communities or farmers who occupy and use them currently. Government lacks the capacity to manage all forests and woodlands. Experience elsewhere hasshown that woodland management by communities and households, influenced by local leadership, can have profound beneficial effects on the status of the resource. Detailed policy issues include the following:

• land (and resource) tenure issues need to be addressed clearly by forest policy and law, particularly in regard to the links between tenure and participative planning and management; land tenure policies should include long-term, inheritable tenure in communal land, as well as redistributed land;
• recognise the value of participative management in enhancing the prospects for woodland conservation and management through the inclusion of detailed reference to and meeting of local needs, and maintaining or restoring the sense of ownership among communities;
• strengthening local institutions by, for example:
• providing the framework (including the legislative framework) for customary, community-based and State institutions to operate and derive benefits from the management of resources;
• development of management and planning capacity within such institutions, especially when the old arrangements have collapsed under pressure of demography and political force

• build around existing natural resource management institutions; strategies for extension services should be explicitly focused on building on existing practices;
• particular attention needs to be paid to making the benefits of areas protected for the preservation of biological diversity apparent and real to neighbouring communities;
• setting, applying and monitoring of sustainable harvesting of forest and woodland products such as timber, fuelwood and non-timber forest products such as fruit, game and medicinal products;
• a major contributor to over-exploitation of forests and woodlands is the undervaluing and underpricing of forest products; forest policy should at least ensure the evaluation ofproduct pricing, especially the products for use or consumption beyond the community or land owner;
• the need for educating and informing farmers and other land users and managers and communities about policies, options, and procedures for managing natural forests and woodlands;
• the potential for forestry to contribute to environmental improvement through replanting of irreversibly degraded land and rehabilitated mine land, as well as for the mitigation of acid-mine drainage through increasing evaporation.

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2.19 Effective science and technology

The present policy involves direct government support to the science councils through the parliamentarian grant, for capacity creation in research, and for tertiary institutions through subsidies and grants for expertise creation. Fiscal incentives are available to companies which invest in research. Government and the private sector contract with suppliers, nationally and internationally, to supply their needs, or, in the case of companies, levy themselves to create a pool of funds to support institutions such as the ICFR. This policy could be sustained.

However, various factors indicate the need for change. These include:

• the decline in overall investment in research and technology development and transfer, especially in government;
• the lack of a sound base of knowledge and expertise for policy analysis;
• the need for access to research and development services by small growers and businesses;
• probable changes in the science and technology policy for the country as a whole;
• the weak relationship between government, the private sector, civil society and the research institutions;
• the breakdown of many elements of the extension services, and the options offered by alternatives.

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2.20 An informed public

• government needs to ensure that appropriate material is available to supplement curriculum material in all schools in forestry districts;
• forestry households often constitute communities remote from towns and settlements: there is a need for holistic approach to human resource development in forestry areas;
• wide dissemination of information on forestry events, issues, and trends to allow educated and informed participation by the wider public as well as affected communities is required.

Incentives for adult education to support affirmative action as well as the capacity among families of employees to improve their quality of life need assessment, and, where necessary, improvement.

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2.21 Forest strategy in the southern African region

It is thus an option to meet future additional timber requirements for South Africa by increasing afforestation in other SADC countries. A strategy for the region would need to be developed if this option was to be viable and sustainable. This would include a strategy for trade in wood and forest products.

Issues that would need to be addressed in a regional strategy are:

• investment barriers like weak infrastructure in terms of communications and transport;
• lack of capacity in forestry management and research;
• criteria for sustainable development;
• improving harvesting and processing capacity and quality;
• ensuring that the poorer countries obtain sufficient volumes of timber at affordable prices and do not lose out to the wealthier countries;
• standardised grading rules to ensure quality timber is produced and product standards are kept;
• reciprocal arrangements to ensure open access to the markets of the region;
• joint strategies for exports to the Pacific and Indian Ocean Rim countries.

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2.22 The Forestry Forum

"Forestry" is to embrace indigenous forest, commercial forest plantations, woodlots and woodland. The Forum is to be advisory to the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry as well as a forum for general discussion. Organisations are to be invited at the discretion of the Minister and are to be represented by individuals. There will be no laid down percentage representation for any sector and the Forum will aim at consensus rather than a vote. The Chairperson, who will be a Ministerial appointment, will convey to the Minister, in writing, whatever range of advice and opinion becomes evident at meetings of the Forum.

The agenda for meetings will embrace matters referred to the Council by the Minister, by members, or by any interested party, at the Chairman's discretion; the range of topics will be very broad.

It should be noted that it is not the intention that the Forum should be a statutory body, and that membership will be voluntary. The Minister has undertaken to regard any unanimous recommendation from the Forum as binding.

At its final meeting, the now defunct Forestry Council suggested to the Minister that the forum might be made up of representatives of the following spheres of interest:

• commercial forestry;
• research and education;
• government departments;
• rural development forestry;
• organisations concerned with environmental issues;
• the Southern African Development Community;
• organised labour;
• Provincial Parks Boards;
• Provincial governments;
• agricultural organisations.

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2.23 A national forestry action plan

This plan would not be a blueprint, but rather:

• a set of directions given to the institutions of the new forest policy, based upon adequate analysis of the issues and concerns relevant to the policy;
• reflect the common vision developed through the participation of government with the various affected parties;
• show how the objectives of the forest policy are intended to be met;
• give guidance to the companies, farmers, and communities engaged in forestry;
• clarify government arrangements to give effect to policy.

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3. CONCLUSION

Comments on the issues, policy options, and strategies highlighted in this document are invited from all interested parties. This comment should, among other things, emphasise what policy options government should choose to pursue, and how policy should be implemented.

Comment is not needed on the background information, unless it will add new information to support a case for new policy options, or support arguments for or against options identified in this document.

The Department will receive and digest comment on policy for the period of eight weeks to the end of August 1995. After this, the drafting of a White Paper will begin, with the aim of tabling it in Parliament by the middle of October.

This White Paper will be a statement of government policy at the time. It will state government's vision and aims for the forest sector, and will indicate how these are to be attained.

The White Paper will determine and guide what government bodies and others will do to turn policy into reality. Certainly, there will be further debate as the implications of the policy become clear, and as experience, evaluation of the consequences of the policy, and research teach us about better options. The views which arise will then influence the improvement of the forest policy in future.

Please send all comments to:

The Director General
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Private Bag X313
Pretoria
0001

Closing date: 31 August 1995

This document is a discussion document only. Its objective is to stimulate debate and discussion. The document does not attempt to set out a preferred policy standpoint. No statement in this document should be construed as official Government policy.

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