MONROVIA – On the heel of numerous complaints coming out of the forest sector coupled with an investigation by the Community Forestry Working Group (CFWG), the group at a one-day working session crafted communication to the Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Mr. C. Mike Doryen for swift intervention for the betterment of the sector.
CFWG was formed to facilitate input from communities and other key stakeholders in the development and eventual implementation of laws and policies relevant to community forestry, including the National Forestry Reform Law (NFRL), the Community Rights Law, and regulations guiding their implementation. The Group is an advisory body to the FDA and part of its role is to make policy recommendations to the FDA, assist the implementation of community forestry programs; and help to build stronger ties between FDA and forest communities.
The communication was channeled through the Technical Manager of the Community Forest Department (CFD) at the FDA, Atty. Gertrude Korvayan Nyaley regarding the administration of community forests across the country at the weekend during a quarterly meeting of CFWG in Monrovia.
As part of its observations that led to the crafting of the memo, CFWG pointed out that the list of 16-companies that are currently implementing third-party agreements with Affected Forest Communities (AFCs) owe the communities a combined total of US$588,319 from the cumulative sum of US$1,014,427.02.
The group also established that FDA has no mechanism in place to scrupulously monitor the disbursement companies are making to communities and FDA itself; and that there is no evidence that, communities are making a periodic report to FDA about how their community forest funds are being managed.
Predicated on the observations, the forest working group called on FDA to develop and put in place a monitoring mechanism to track the disbursement of community forest funds.
Such mechanism, CFWG stated must enable the Authority to track community contract value in royalties and other fees as stipulated by the terms and conditions of their agreements and contracts, the contract holder obligations, disbursement plan, payment terms, amounts paid, and balances.
“Such simple measure should be enough to provide FDA and its partners with basic information and or up-to-date data on the status of payments by companies to communities, liabilities of the companies, etc.,” said the group.
“As required by Section 9.7 of the CRL Regulation as amended, the FDA must ensure that the Community Forest Management Bodies (CFMBs) of all AFCs make a quarterly report to the Authority. This process is necessary, as it would help FDA to determine whether ECs and CFMBs are properly managing community forest funds. As part of its mandates to provide technical assistance to communities, FDA should guide CFMA communities and ensure that they administer their community forest funds expeditiously,” the group asserted.
CFWG also urged FDA to monitor and determine whether community forest (CF) leaders are managing their community forest funds for the benefit of the larger communities; and if it is determined that CF leaders are not wisely administering community forest funds, the Authority must with immediate effect suspend such AFC, investigate and institute punitive measure against the guilty party(ies).
“In keeping with its mandate on compliance, FDA must ensure that companies implementing third party agreement make payments for monies owed communities before issuing export permits. This can also be done by developing an agreed payment plan for monies owed to communities. It is our hope that you will give this Advisory Note your kind consideration,” CFWG added.
Mr. Nobeh Jackson, Lead of Partners in Development (PADEV), indicated that the intent of the regular CFWG meeting is to communicate to the public of what the group is doing in terms of its functions.
“We want to start to do publication since what we do is from the public and for the public. This is a professional working group. Our aim is to ensure that the locals manage their own forestry resources for sustainable development in their respective communities,” asserted Jackson.