Implementing Agency:
Department For International Development (DFIDC)

Managing Institute:
Department For International Development (DFIDC)

Project Code: 083-502-003	Start Date: 07-Jun-88	End Date: 30/10/1992
Commitment: £300,000	Status: Completed	Type of Funding: Bilateral - TC

Project Background:
Belize is an unusually heavily forested country. Of the total land area of 22,000 sq km, some 6,000 sq km (30%) is in Forest Reserve, a similar area is Crown (or "national") land, most of it forested, and much of the balance, in private hands, is also under forest. Log production peaked in 1952 and has declined markedly since then. The main outputs are pine (from Forest Reserves), mahogany (mainly from private and national land) and a variety of other hardwoods.

The main issues identified by the1989 TFAP Sector Study were:

Deforestation, (including illegal encroachment).

Over-exploitation of key species (including "forest mining").

Inefficient Utilisation.

Biodiversity.

Ecological Services Protection. Around 20% of the Forest Reserve areas, watersheds and wildlands.

Institutional Weakness.

The project supports the activities of theTropical Forestry Action Plan, in which the DFID had a major role.

Project Objectives:
The project seeks to contribute to the goal of a rational division of land for forest, agriculture and other use, ensuring the national forest estate is managed on a sustainable basis and is providing adequate returns on investment.

The project seeks to establish capacity to make environmentally and socially secure land use decisons, including:

*effective physical planning unit.

*appropriate legislation.

*capacity to assess natural resource parameters.

*establish mechanisms to take into account social implications of decisions.

Bring the forest resource (incl. mangrove) under management for production (sustained yield) and/or protection. (conservation).

Initiate forest research into natural forest management.

Develop a cadre of professional and technical staff to manage the natural forest.

Recover cost of intensive management through revised fiscal measures.

Intended Outputs:
Establishment of an effective physical planning unit to support the LUA.

Regional development areas at about 1:250,000.

Maps indicating modified boundaries for forest reserves and protected areas.

Threatened reserve boundaries to be demarcated and maintained.

Natural forest management plan.

Working plans for hardwood reserves.

Harvesting courses demarcated.

Lay out different areas demonstrating various silvicultural practices.