Sustainable forest management is my core competence, with sustainability to be warranted in social, ecological and economic respect. Forest and resource management is always a compromise between owners’ and user interests in which the sociocultural framework is at least as important as the legal conditions. There is no single management option but always a set of choices which will have to be made on an informed basis to achieve an optimal impact of the management measures implemented. There are numbers of resolutions, governance and certification tools which can support the forest dialogue on the ground and enable the development and implementation of management plans according to best practices. My role is the provision of knowledge and experience in finding out tailor made solutions for an optimised value generation for current and future users. I have experience in and can provide advice for two main forest management areas, one being technically focussed on:
The theoretical and governance aspect of SFM, mainly forest policy, legislation, governance and organisational advice formed key parts of my project assignments in the last two decades so I can offer services in:
Participation as I understand it is not limited to formalised committee meetings and workshops that are useful to tick boxes in process roadmaps. Participation is the shared authority and responsibility over forest and other natural resources, it starts with an agreed plan and does not end with sustainable exploitation. Participatory approaches require commitment and a long term perspective, thus they have to develop from the ground and cannot be ordered by ministers’ or donors’ efforts. Joint forest management and social forestry are some of the most abused terms in the development scene, yet the principal idea of co-management and shared control is the only way how the multiple demands of various stakeholders can be met by flexible and multifaceted forest management and conservation strategies. Blueprints and standards can provide ideas, yet forestry is local and unique on every site. It requires a sound information and knowledge base, but even more common sense and pragmatism to identify the best choice for the current situation to enable wider and better choices in future.