The Programme on « Promoting certified forest logging » - PPECF is providing partner companies ALPI, PALLISCO and ROUGIER, which have converged into a consortium for this purpose, with permanent training capacity on controlled felling (felling proper, sawing and trimming) and will thus contribute towards meeting the 2014 target of obtaining a first FSC-FM certification which it has launched afresh despite the ongoing crisis.

Please download the full document: Project Terms of Reference: Support Project for training in controlled felling and development of related tools to promote sustainable logging  

Project objectives, modalities and activities

The support mission requested from the PPECF programme will focus on methodology to better address the demands of sustainable forest management notably by implementing continuous training on Low-impact Logging (EFIR) and by so doing, enhance their ability to meet FSC requirements (particularly its most recent version). More specifically, the PPECF project’s support to the beneficiary consortium will aim primarily to provide the partner companies ALPI, PALLISCO and ROUGIER with support towards permanent training capacity on controlled felling (felling proper, cutting and trimming). 

While training on the controlled felling has been available for over 10 years in the region, there is no denying that their ad hoc nature has severely impeded the full integration of these practices within logging companies.

Hence to ensure greater efficiency this time round and especially to help create real momentum for progress, continuous improvement and lastly to preserve the gains as standard practice, the training must be practical, oft-repeated and regularly evaluated. This "monitoring and evaluation" approach fits in perfectly with a strategy of sustainable forest management and an FSC-type certification process for sustainable forest management.

The following are the project’s objectives:

 General objective:

To improve techniques, quality and monitoring of felling and sawing operations of commercial species with a view to sustainable forest management and to meet FSC certification requirements.

Specific objectives:

♦ To improve the safety and working conditions of staff and their professional development;

♦ To improve felling techniques;

♦ To increase the material yield and optimize the use of resources through better technical know-how of operators by reducing defects and purges (increase from 1 to 2 cubic meters per felled tree);

♦ To reduce negative impacts on the forest stand and its environment (soil, waterways, biodiversity, residual stand ...);

♦ To conduct qualitative and quantitative assessments of output from a reference area and an assessment of the environmental impacts of logging over a reference period.

♦  To establish standardized incentive-based(bonus / penalty)  job descriptions for felling within project recipient companies without which training may not produce expected outcomes over time, and also establish an efficient monitoring and evaluation system;

♦  To build a network of internal trainers by training trainers within companies;

♦  To set up a standard of good practices for tree-felling in the tropics;  

Please download the full document: Terms of Reference: Support Project for training on controlled logging and development of related tools to promote sustainable logging.