I. INTRODUCTION
This National Forest Plan (hereafter ‘the Plan’) accompanies the Guyana National Forest Policy Statement (hereafter ‘the Policy’), which was developed with technical as well as stakeholder inputs over the period February to September 2017. The inputs of stakeholders, including agency, private sector, community and Indigenous Peoples, were key to identifying the actions needed for the operationalizing of the new Policy.
The previous Policy and Plan suffered from reduced levels of awareness and implementation, in part because they were produced and presented separately. In this revision of the Policy and Plan, both share the same structure and approach, and are based on the same analyses. It is therefore suggested that they be read concurrently, to increase comprehension of the contents while aiding implementation. This Plan can thus be thought of as an implementation plan for the Policy.
II. OVERVIEW OF THE PLAN
The overall objective goal of the Forest Policy and Plan, consistent with the Green State Development
Strategy (GSDS), is “The conservation, protection and utilization of the state’s forest, by ensuring its social, economic and environmental attributes and benefits are sustained and enhanced for the benefit of current and future generations of Guyanese, whilst fulfilling Guyana’s commitments under international agreements and conventions.”
Within this goal are found four specific objectives (SOs) that drive all activities within the Plan. These SOs are:
1. Deriving development benefits from the forest (ECONOMICS)
2. Conserving, protecting and sustaining the forest (CONSERVATION)
3. Governing the forest to ensure current and future benefits (GOVERNANCE)
4. Building human and institutional capacity for management of activities in the forest (CAPACITY)
The achievement of these four SOs, which are further detailed in the Plan through policy goals and strategies, requires all forest-related agencies and institutions to be involved in implementing activities that achieve targets which measure the extent to which the SOs have been achieved. Indicators of key results and activities associated with the SOs are contained within this plan. Where not suggested, targets and baselines are to be developed by lead agencies based on their unique and specialized assessment of the policy goals, institutional resources, and what it will take to achieve meaningful results.
The National Forest Policy and Plan has been developed within the framework of the Constitution of Guyana and with regard to relevant international commitments on the environment, particularly as they relate to forests and biodiversity….Click here for more information